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The Herald, 19 February 1995
GOVERNMENT is inviting tenders for the design and construction supervision consultancy for the proposed new terminal at Harare International Airport.
According to the tender notice published today, the requirements include a new international passenger terminal operations block, control tower, new apron and associated taxiway systems and diversions of existing services.
A complete set of tender documents can be obtained after submission of a written application and upon paying a non-refundable fee of US$500 ($4 150) or the equivalent in a currency acceptable to the director of the Department of Civil Aviation.
Tenders close at 10am on May 11.
With the increasing volume of air traffic, Zimbabwe needs a bigger and more modern airport, hence the need for construction of the new international terminal at an estimated cost of more than $600 million.
With these new facilities, the airport could handle about 1,7 million passengers a year.
The proposed terminal would be able to accommodate five jumbo aircraft at any given time.
It would be spilt into two blocks for departures and arrivals with a large garden between them.
The Minister of Trade and Energy, Mr Denis Norman, last year told Parliament that the construction of the new airport could be delayed by at least three years as the Government opted for a completely new design.
The Cabinet had not been happy with the roof part of the design and was looking for one that was distinctly Zimbabwean.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
The Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport is not the only airport to get a facelift and be expanded. In Bulawayo, the same was done for the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport, and also the Victoria Falls Airport. Modern-day air transportation is a major tourism driver, which is a huge foreign currency earner for the country.
Two decades later, the Government has embarked on yet another expansion of the same airport facility it expanded in 1995.
The expansion drive means more job opportunities.
The airport expansion is a unique opportunity to equip Zimbabwe with a legacy of skills for generations to come. Working together with internationally-acclaimed experts, local engineers and construction workers will gain advanced skills and knowledge.
What most airports have in common is that they are hubs, offering a large volume of routes, and connecting passengers to international destinations, rather than being the final destinations. Hence, the expansion has a positive effect on the economy.
Online Reporter