daniel chigunwe
Freeman Razemba Senior Reporter
THE US$153 million expansion and upgrading of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare is now at an advanced stage with the contractor finalising the installation of equipment, allowing more planes and more passengers to be handled.
The extension is set to be opened to travellers by the end of next month with the refurbishment of the older terminal area finished by December.
The Government is accelerating progress through modernising aviation infrastructure in line with global standards.
Developing an efficient air transport system is critical in enhancing economic growth in line with the country’s aspirations as expressed under the National Development Strategy 1.
The Government is upgrading aviation infrastructure countrywide in an effort to meet international standards and attract more airlines, more passengers and tourists.
Posting on its Twitter handle yesterday, the contractor, China Jiangsu International/RGM Airport Project, said: “Other headway we have made so far: pump station and chilled water pipe has been installed. Number three boarding bridge has been hoisted and connected successfully, both ends are being reinforced and welded.” Recently, officials and board members from the Airports Company of Zimbabwe conducted a tour of the airport to assess progress made so far.
In an interview, ACZ airport development manager Engineer Shamiso Makova said: “What we did was to extend the current international building for both arrivals and departures. That part of the construction is now about 97 percent complete.
“We are finalising the installation of the equipment. We should be done with that work by the end of June, then we are going to refurbish the current terminal building and that work should be done by December.
“Under the project, we have also constructed two more new aprons to accommodate our four aero bridges that have been installed. We are also installing two new self-check-in cubicles and you can now check-in on yourself like what they do in the rest of the world and I think that is the major change right now.
“One of the bridges is on the domestic terminal site, so there is an apron there and the other one is an extension of the current apron at the international terminal building. So we are installing four extra bridges.” Three more sets of luggage handling equipment and 14 more check-in counters for departures have been installed. The international terminal side can now accommodate seven aircraft and if they have more aircraft, the extra can use the domestic terminal.
Construction at the main terminal is almost complete and only a few final touches are being made while the state-of-the-art VVIP pavilion is also almost ready.
The new arrivals and departure sections will be opened to the public this year while the rehabilitation of the existing international and domestic terminal buildings will also be carried out.
The RGM International Airport modernisation and expansion is one of the flagship projects being implemented by the Second Republic under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, who has placed emphasis on high impact projects in line with the NDS 1.
The upgrading of the RGM International Airport is expected to see more international airlines opening routes into Harare and a corresponding increase in tourist arrivals.
Under the Second Republic, the Government is pioneering a number of key projects in line with President Mnangagwa’s vision of attaining an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona recently said he was happy with the progress at the airport as the teams were working day and night.
Online Reporter