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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
CONTRACTORS at the Victoria Falls International Airport expansion project expect to have finished the new 4KM airstrip (runway) before the end of the year ahead of the completion of the whole project by mid next year. Expansion work at the $150 million project funded by China Exim Bank started last year.
Airport manager Ronnie Masawi told a touring delegation of Hotel Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) members last week that the contractor, China Jiangsu International, had assured that a new runway will be ready in December.
“We had initially targeted to finish the project in April next year but it will be completed by June because of some delays.
“We are constructing a new terminal with an African touch while the parking area is being extended to the east and west to allow parking of five wide body aircraft at any given time, not necessarily referring to the boarding gate,” said Masawi.
He said the taxiways, linking the new runway measuring 60 metres wide which has already been surfaced, to the old terminal, will also be ready before the end of the year to allow refurbishment of the existing terminal.
“The completion of the runway wouldn’t mean the project will be complete.
“The onsite consultants are testing each and every stage of construction to make sure we have a modern world standard airport to land the biggest plane,” he said.
Masawi said the new terminal will be able to handle some of the biggest plans such as the Boeing 747 airbus and have a capacity to handle between 1.2 million and 2 million travellers per annum, up from the less than 300,000 handled at the moment.
The existing terminal will be turned into a domestic terminal and its rehabilitation is expected to start soon after the completion of the new runway in December as aircraft would be moved to the new site.
The airport will also have a water feature resembling the mighty Victoria Falls to act as a tourist stop over point, a new upgraded fire station and state-of-the-art aviation specialist equipment.
Owen Nyama, a site engineer, said the new look international airport would have three floors – ground floor being baggage collection zone while first and second floors will be for arrivals and departure respectively.
“Those arriving would go down the ramp to get their luggage and go on the first floor while the departure lounge will be on the second floor but the two don’t meet for security reasons.
“A cylindrical glass patio with an open tower will be erected for three purposes – to be architectural, bring light into the building and separate arrivals and departure segments.
A new link road to the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway, to branch about a kilometre away towards the resort town, a separate VIP parking area, new water reservoir and sewer reticulation plant will be put in place.
HAZ chairman Jonathan Hudson said they were happy with the progress made so far as that would increase the number of airlines and tourists.
Currently, only four airlines namely Air Namibia, South African Airways, BA Comair and Air Zimbabwe use the airport.
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