Story by Owen Mandovha, Business Reporter
The Robert Gabriel Mugabe International airport will soon be ranked among the top modern airports in Africa once the expansion project being carried out by the Second Republic has been finalised.
In resetting the button for the national economic development agenda, President Emmerson Mnangagwa conducted a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, one of the government’s flagship infrastructure development projects.
The Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ) board and management this Monday toured the new look and expanded airport to assess progress, with Airport Development Manager, Engineer Shamiso Makova confirming that the contractor is on course to meet the June 2023 deadline.
“The contractor is putting final touches to the works which involve the four bridges, the pavilion, aprons, expanding the terminal building and also the VVIP lounge. The contractor is working round the clock to complete these works by the deadline of June. The old terminals will also be refurbished to suit the new outlook,” she said.
After a massive investment of US$153 million, the airport now consists of various business and social amenities, shops, pharmacies and bars to cater for a wider array of travellers, and to match global airport standards.
Airports Company of Zimbabwe board chairperson, Mr Dave Popatlal said, “This project symbolizes the huge work that the Second Republic has done over the last 5 years to improve national infrastructure. Once this is complete, there we will have one of the best airports on the African continent.”
Once the upgrade is complete, the airport’s annual passenger handling capacity will increase from the current 2.5 million to six million and as more airlines are coming to Zimbabwe attracted by the ever-improving aviation infrastructure, there is no doubt that Zimbabwe will indeed become a regional economic hub.
