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Herald Reporter

THE US$153 million Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport expansion project is now complete and will be handed over to the Airports Company of Zimbabwe next month with refurbishment of the older terminal area set to be finished by December.

Travellers will start using the extension by end of June as the Government continues its drive to enhance 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 (NDS1).

This project has set the tone for massive transformation in the aviation and tourism sectors.

During a tour by the Operational Readiness and Transfer committee of the new look airport, China Jiangsu International contractors were last week seen putting the finishing touches as they look forward to the handover of the project by the 15th of next month.

“The airport is now complete save for just a few touches here or there that are being completed. Our goal is that the contractor will hand over the project by the 15th of June to the Airports Company of Zimbabwe and the new terminals will be in use by then,” said chief executive officer of the Airports Company of Zimbabwe, Mr Tawanda Gusha.

The airport now has a passenger annual handling capacity of six million passengers in addition to several modern ancillary facilities such as the VIP pavilion

The project which started in 2018 also comes with four additional bridges and an expanded apron to accommodate more aircraft as the airport will compete with other airports on the continent in terms of size.

“The airport will accommodate more aircraft in line with increased passenger holding capacity hence the apron has been expanded while an additional four bridges have been constructed,” said Mr Gusha.

“The project has progressed quite well though there were Covid-19 disruptions which slowed progress but the Government has indeed provided the much-needed support which has seen the project progressing well.”

For travellers who are fitness fanatics, a gym has been installed while prayerful travellers will be accommodated in prayer rooms among other features which include salons, coffee bars and a children’s play centre at the airport.

The Government is upgrading aviation infrastructure countrywide in an effort to meet international standards and attract more airlines, more passengers and more tourists.

In a recent interview, ACZ airport development manager Engineer Shamiso Makova said: “Under the project, we have also constructed two more new aprons to accommodate our four aero bridges that have been installed.

“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.”

Eng Makova said they had also installed three more sets of luggage handling equipment and 14 more check-in counters for departures.

“We are relocating one of our small fire service stations by about 100 metres so that there is no contact with aeroplanes with long wing spans.”

Eng Makova said they had also completed the runway works and there was now improved lighting on the runways.

The international terminal side can now accommodate seven aircraft at a time and if there are more planes, the extra can use the domestic terminal.