Zimbabwe: RG Mugabe Airport upgrade begins

China Jiangsu International, the firm that won the bid to modernise the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport under a US$153 million concessional loan facility from the China Eximbank, has moved on site to begin works.

The Chinese State-owned firm, which has prominent global presence, started works last week by levelling the VVIP side, where two aero bridges will be erected.

The upgrade of the RG Mugabe International Airport will conclude in 36 months.

The US$153 million airport facelift will bring in new technologies and efficiency in the facilitation of passengers, aircraft and cargo.

Three additional aero bridges, a new satellite fire station, a modern terminal building and a new VVIP pavilion are some of the key features to be added to the RG Mugabe International Airport.

Passenger handling capacity will also rise to six million per annum from the current 2,5 million.

The car park will be transformed into a multi-storey facility with capacity to handle hundreds of vehicles.

The runway will be expanded to allow for concurrent multiple landings, as opposed to the current situation whereby planes land one at a time.

Equally, China Jiangsu was the contractor for the Victoria Falls International Airport rehabilitation.

The Victoria Falls International Airport was commissioned on November 18, 2016 and has been recording a monthly average growth rate of 20 percent in passenger movement.

A number of airlines are now landing in Victoria Falls while others have increased seat numbers to meet demand.

The renovation of the RG Mugabe International Airport is in tandem with overall efforts to give a facelift to all airports and eventually construct new ones, especially in Beitbridge and Mutare.

Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (Caaz) director of airports Mr Tawanda Gusha recently said Government is committed to improving the aviation sector.

Note: Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airpot formerly known as the Harare International Airport is Zimbabwe’s biggest airport.It was renamed on the 9th of November 2017 from Harare International Airport to Robert Gabriel Mugabe international Airpot in honor of President Robert Gabriel Mugabe. It is located 15 km south of Harare’s central business district and acts as the link between Harare and the outside world. It is the main gateway from the southern tip of the continent into the inner central part of Africa. The Harare International Airport is the major international aviation gateway to Zimbabwe. It is operated by Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe.

Source: The Sunday Mail. Zimbabwe

 

Memphis International Airport: B Concourse modernization project

The Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (MSCAA) board of commissioners has selected engineering firm Flintco as the primary contractor for the B Concourse modernization project at Memphis International Airport, Tennessee.

The US$123m multi-phase plan will involve the modernization of the spine and east leg of Memphis Airport’s B Concourse as well as consolidation of all airline, retail, and food and beverage (F&B) businesses into the remodeled concourse.

The redesign will include the addition of wider corridors, moving walkways, larger boarding areas, higher ceilings and increased natural lighting. Additional amenities and concessions options will also be added.

Following the board’s approval, construction is now scheduled to begin in September 2018, with project completion in early 2021.

Source: Passenger Terminal Today

New era at Plattsburgh International Airport

Plattsburgh International Airport held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the first United Express flight arriving this week. The airline, operated by SkyWest, took over the airport’s essential air services agreement from PenAir Airlines, and will offer two nonstop daily flights weekdays, and a daily flight on weekends, to Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport. United says the daily flights on 50-seat passenger jets will connect the North Country, and Montreal, to major destinations in the U.S. and worldwide.
The airport hopes its 5-year, multi-million dollar expansion, and the opening later this year of its new international arrivals center and U.S. Customs facilities will draw interest from other airlines looking to offer flights to other U.S. destinations, the Caribbean, Mexico, or even Europe.

Construction of new Mozambique airport to commence in October

Mozambique’s Transport and Communications Minister Carlos Mesquita says work on Xai-Xai Airport in Gaza province is expected to begin in October.The Chinese government granted the Mozambican government US$60 million for construction of the new airport in Xai-Xai city, some 205 kilometres north of the capital Maputo.

Mesquita told journalists on Thursday that two public tenders related with the airport are to be launched, one in China and one in Mozambique.

“The Chinese tender will select a contractor to build the runway while the tender in Mozambique will identify companies to build access roads and install the services to support the airport’s activities,” Mesquita said.