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Mashudu Netsianda Senior Reporter
JOSHUA Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport will be opened to the travelling public today for trial runs with the commissioning by President Mugabe expected to take place on a date yet to be announced. The latest development follows a directive by President Mugabe ordering the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) to open the airport by 1 November without fail.
In an interview yesterday, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Dr Obert Mpofu, confirmed that the new terminal would be opened to the public.
“Major civil works have been done and the airport will be opened to the public tomorrow (today) for trial run in line with the directive of President Mugabe. The commissioning of the airport will, however, be done at a later stage by President Mugabe,” said Dr Mpofu.
The project was initially scheduled to be completed in December 2004 but has been pending until President Mugabe put pressure for the facility to be completed.
In a statement, CAAZ said JMN International Airport would be operationalised today.
It said although the terminal was undergoing its final stages of completion, it had become necessary to operationalise the facility to allow utilisation of already installed systems.
“With effect from 1 November 2013, the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo new international terminal in Bulawayo will be operationalised. The terminal building is a state-of-the-art facility designed to serve the interests of the flying public and the community at large. Although the terminal is undergoing its final stages of completion, it has become absolutely necessary to operationalise the facility to allow the utilisation of the already installed systems,” read part of the CAAZ statement.
The airport has a capacity to handle 1,5 million passengers per year.
The facility features all the requisite safety systems, security systems and ambience characteristic of a modern airport.
The operationalisation of the airport is likely to attract more airlines into Bulawayo.
JMN International Airport, which has over the years been undergoing rehabilitation and upgrading, has on many occasions missed commissioning deadline due to funding constraints.
The multi-million dollar project was once stopped after funds ran dry, but the Government last year released $1,3 million followed by another $1 million for the purchase of communication equipment among other things.
The whole project, which is now around 95 percent complete, still requires in excess of $2,5 million to be completed.
Online Reporter