Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has allocated 300 hectares of land for the expansion of Charles Prince Airport, paving the way for its transformation into an international airport that will service the proposed new city in Mount Hampden.
Located just outside Harare, Charles Prince Airport, which sits on 171ha of land, is currently used mainly for light aircraft and flying academies.
Under the new plan, it will be upgraded to international standards, comparable to those at Robert Gabriel Mugabe (RGM) International Airport.
RGM International Airport was expanded in 2023 by China Jiangsu International, boosting its annual passenger handling capacity from 2,5 million to 6 million and positioning it as a major regional aviation hub.
The same company has been tasked with carrying out the Charles Prince Airport upgrade, following negotiations with Chinese contractors last year.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona, together with his Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development counterpart Dr Anxious Masuka, Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ) board chairperson Advocate Tichaona John Muhonde, ACZ chief executive Mr Tawanda Gusha, and other Government officials, toured the airport yesterday.
During the visit, the Ministry of Lands formally handed over the land to the Ministry of Transport to facilitate the expansion.
In an interview, Dr Masuka said President Mnangagwa had directed Minister Mhona to secure land for the project.
“We sent a team to do the preliminary feasibility and today we wanted to see whether that land is indeed suitable,” said Dr Masuka.
“We have identified just over 300 hectares to add on to the current 171 hectares of Charles Prince and we think this is suitable for the expansion.
“The next step is for the Surveyor General and the Department of Lands Management to finalise the process by next week, after which development can begin.”
Minister Mhona said feasibility studies for the project were already underway.
“We are here with my colleague Dr Masuka to fulfil the vision of our leader, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, who has directed us to move with speed and execute this project.
“Unlike RGM International Airport, which is constrained by its location in a densely populated area, Charles Prince has space for two or even three runways.
“And we are happy and I want to thank my colleague minister who has also paid heed to what His Excellency said and availed land, which falls under the purview of Zvimba Rural District Council.
“Now that we have seen it, we have a roadmap to process it through the Surveyor General and hand it over formally.
“From there, we will begin full-scale feasibility work in close collaboration with the contractor who successfully upgraded RGM International Airport.”
Minister Mhona added that by next Monday, his ministry will receive a detailed report from the Ministry of Lands, which will then be presented to the President before full feasibility studies commence.
He also noted that Charles Prince’s proximity to the Cyber City project and the New Parliament building makes it strategically ideal for international operations.
Charles Prince Airport was established during World War II as one of three small airfields around Harare for the Royal Air Force training programme.
It was converted into a civil airport in 1958 and later named after Charles Hilton Prince, a pioneer in Zimbabwean civil aviation.
