Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
ROBERT Gabriel Mugabe International Airport is set for another major expansion, which will include the construction of a second runway, a new cargo terminal and additional aviation support facilities as the Government moves to position Harare as a competitive regional aviation hub.
In a notice, the Airports Company of Zimbabwe confirmed it was now moving forward with the construction of a second runway, a new cargo terminal and associated aviation facilities within the airport’s restricted Red Zone.
This area, now surrounded by housing, is reserved exclusively for airport-related development, safety operations and security installations. The zone includes not just the runways and terminals, but also the necessary open land around the airport needed for safety and security.
“These developments mark one of the largest upgrades to the airport precinct in recent years,” ACZ said.
The ACZ has since started notifying all affected landowners and occupiers within the Red Zone and has directed them to visit its offices within 30 days to begin compensation discussions as it clears the zone of commercial and residential property.
This planned expansion follows a massive modernisation completed in 2023, when China Jiangsu International upgraded the airport – expanding the terminal, installing modern check-in systems and improving airside facilities – boosting annual passenger-handling capacity from 2,5 million to 6 million.
The overhaul transformed RGMIA into one of Southern Africa’s key aviation gateways capable of handling long-haul, wide-body aircraft and rising international passenger traffic.
The Airports Company of Zimbabwe said the next phase of development comes at a time when passenger volumes continue to surge.
Between January and September this year, the airport handled nearly 1,2 million passengers compared to 1,1 million during the same period last year, representing an 8,19 percent increase that underscores renewed growth in Zimbabwe’s aviation and tourism sectors.
The construction of a second runway is expected to significantly improve aviation safety, increase aircraft-handling capacity and reduce congestion during peak hours.
A new cargo terminal will modernise Zimbabwe’s freight-handling capabilities, supporting rising demand from exporters, importers and express logistics operators.
