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Lovemore Chikova
Development Dialogue
Those who were in doubt of President Mnangagwa’s intentions for Zimbabwe should have learnt a lesson last week following the commissioning of the refurbished Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
The airport is just one of the many developmental programmes that the New Dispensation completed so far this year, with many others in the line-up to be completed before year-end.
The intention of President Mnangagwa is very clear with such huge projects like the refurbishment of Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
The intention takes Zimbabwe to a new level of development that has never been witnessed in the country, and in the process change the narrative of the country to a zone that is developing very fast.
The US$153 million expansion and upgrading of the airport came at a time President Mnangagwa has indicated that his administration is laying the foundations of development brick by brick. There are too many benefits to be derived from the new airport, which is already open to the travelling public.
In fact, the new Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport augurs well with the developmental aspirations of the New Dispensation being driven by the National Development Strategy 1 and the desire to attain Vision 2030 of achieving an upper middle income economy.
The state of an airport is known to influence the preferences of passengers to use it, and this refurbishment is going to change the attitude of many travellers towards the airport.
Passenger circulation is definitely going to increase as envisaged — from two million a year to more than six million.
Being central in Southern Africa, the upgraded airport is set to thrust Zimbabwe as an aviation hub serving the whole region and beyond.
For example, many travellers can prefer to use Harare as a transit point which easily connects them to the region, the whole of Africa, Europe and Asia.
There is now better connectivity and improved flexibility to handle the expected numbers of travellers.
The designs done on the airport are excellent and they will help address the usual fears of such ports of entry being difficult to pass through and in some instances too hectic.
More tourists are expected to consider Zimbabwe as their next destination because of the ease of travel that will be brought by the new facility.
A recent tour of the airport shows the work done on it is magnificent.
There was the construction of the international terminal building and aprons, installation of four new bridges, a secondary radar system, construction of a VVIP pavilion and an airfield ground lighting and communication system.
Expansion of the apron resulted in the accommodation of more aero bridges to handle a wider array of aircraft.
The works included the upgrading of equipment for passenger facilitation, which included check in counters, baggage handling equipment and access control.
As part of the refurbishment, there will be the modernisation of the domestic terminal building and installation of modern navigation equipment.
China Jiangsu International Economic and Technical Cooperation Group Ltd carried out the works at the new facility.
This was after the firm did another fabulous job on Victoria Falls International Airport, whose benefits are there for everyone to marvel at.
The ideal situation is for a tourist who arrives at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport to find planes waiting at the domestic terminal to travel to the various destinations in the country.
With the upgrading of Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, there is no doubt that the aviation sector in Zimbabwe has taken a turn in its fortunes, and its growth is now set on an upward trajectory.
More international airlines are lined up to fly to Zimbabwe, clearly indicating that demand for air travel to the destination is increasing, and is expected to shoot up post-Covid-19 era.
This is the appropriate time for the country to get ready for the increased arrivals, especially for tourism, when normalcy returns.
The political will being shown by President Mnangagwa in ensuring the upgrading of aviation facilities goes a long to demonstrate the new thinking in Zimbabwe.
Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport was established in 1956 as Salisbury Airport, but changed its name to Harare International Airport at independence.
The airport is located 15 kilometres south east of Harare and is the main gateway into Zimbabwe and a gateway into Southern Africa, considering its centrality in the region.
What the airport refurbishment means
It shows an increase in investment in aviation infrastructure by the New Dispensation, supporting Government’s drive to modernise the country, and serve as an enabler to the broader economic growth under way
The new airport is a reflection of the image, rich heritage and culture of Zimbabwe, as air transport plays an important role in promoting national economic development.
The airport will contribute to economic development particularly through facilitating tourism, trade, investment, business travel and cargo movement.
The Second Republic’s prowess in facilitating infrastructure development in various sectors since coming into office is in doubt and continues to bear fruit.
The new airport is one of the strategic national projects outlined in the National Development Strategy 1 and the aim to attain an upper middle income economy through Vision 2030.
Upgrading of the airport enhances safety of operations, reduce delays and bring more comfort for air transport travellers, making Zimbabwe a competitive aviation hub.
The airport boosts Zimbabwe’s image and sheds light into the positive growth and transformation trends in trade and tourism in Zimbabwe being spearheaded by the New Dispensation.
More airlines are expected to start considering Harare as part of their routes.
Cargo handling capacity will increase from 40,2 million to 43 million and increase number of passengers from 500 000 to two million by 2025.
Online Reporter