Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]
THE Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ) intends to upgrade key infrastructure at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo (JMN) International Airport, including converting an idle building, Mama MaFuyane, into a state-of-the-art cargo village.
On Monday, Bulawayo made aviation history when Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 787 800 Dreamliner touched down at JMN International Airport, becoming the first aircraft of its kind to land at the facility.
The milestone underscores the airport’s growing capacity to accommodate wide body aircraft.
ACZ director of operations, Mr Charles Nyoni, described the development as a significant moment for ACZ, noting that infrastructure upgrades are expected to stimulate growth across the aviation sector.
He said the airports company was progressing with plans for the cargo village and runway expansion projects, both of which are still awaiting funding.
“We have a team that is coming mid-February to finalise the commencement of the cargo facility project. We want to work on the project this particular quarter, so there is a team that is coming from Harare, . . . engineers and other stakeholders, to look at the infrastructure that we want to upgrade, which is the Mama MaFuyana (building) into a cargo facility. So, we hope to see something happening at least mid-month and going forward,” said Mr Nyoni.
According to official data, JMN Nkomo International Airport has been experiencing average annual passenger growth of 20 percent in the post Covid-19 period, which began in 2019.
The growth in passenger volumes has prompted the need for major infrastructure upgrades, including the development of cargo facilities, an air traffic control tower, a revamped runway and other critical aviation support structures.
Mr Nyoni said the ongoing developments demonstrated ACZ’s commitment to modernising airport infrastructure in order to encourage increased aviation activity.
He said the company’s focus was on ensuring that upgraded facilities allow operators to bring in the type of aircraft suited to their operations and schedules.
On the proposed runway expansion, Mr Nyoni said they were still working on securing funding before the project could commence.
ACZ plans to extend the JMN International Airport runway from 2,5 kilometres to 4,5 kilometres to accommodate larger aircraft, with the project expected to run concurrently with the refurbishment of the air traffic control tower.
The upgrade will give JMN International Airport a much needed facelift. Having last undergone major modernisation more than a decade ago, the airport now requires significant improvements to maintain competitiveness and meet international aviation standards.
