By ADAM IHUCHA -- Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA)
is bracing for a major facelift in a few months time, as the multi-million-dollars
overhaul project gets underway in early June 2015.
Mid-March,
Tanzania picked, BAM International contracting firm of Netherlands, to
execute this largest overhaul ever, in its efforts to elevate KIA into a
fully-fledged tourist’s
gateway.
Financed by Tanzania
and the Dutch governments at $39.7 million, the makeover project, will see all
runways, apron,
taxiways and passenger lounge modernized in a
bid to offer holidaymakers a hassle-free
trip to the country’s northern tourist’s circuit.
The Kilimanjaro
Airports Development Company (KADCO) Managing Director, Mr Bakari Murusuri, says
that the real works will commence in early June 2015 and it will be completed
in July 2016, if all goes well.
“Idea behind the
scheme is to give KIA a different outlook” Mr Murusuri
noted, adding that KADCO since 2010 had
been running the promotion blitz to the market overseas, seeking to attract major global airlines to operate
from KIA.
With increased
traffic, demands for customer satisfaction, security concerns and
growing competition, KIA has found it imperative
to benchmark itself with pace setting organizations, meeting and overcoming emerging challenges along the
way.
The 44-year-old
airport, which situated between Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions, has
over the years undergone a series of touch-ups and renovations, but now is set
to achieve world-class status with the makeover.
KADCO Director of Operations and Technical
Services, Mr Christopher Mukoma, said that the airport’s modernization includes
the expansion of the terminal buildings, increasing the length and width of
taxiways and runaways, expanding aircraft aprons as well as establishing other
essential services at the terminal.
Mr Mkoma further divulged that,
BAM will also install new airfield ground lighting and floodlights along the
aprons, resurface the runaways, and create continuous loop linking runways and
taxiways to eliminate delays in landing and take-off.
Boasting an annual increase of 25 per cent in passenger traffic, KIA and this year, the management expects to handle nearly 1.2 million flying customers. Inaugurated for business in 1972, KIA was designed to handle just 200,000 passengers.
Boasting an annual increase of 25 per cent in passenger traffic, KIA and this year, the management expects to handle nearly 1.2 million flying customers. Inaugurated for business in 1972, KIA was designed to handle just 200,000 passengers.
Natural Resources and
Tourism Minister, Lazaro Nyalandu said KIA revamping was imperative and
come at the opportune moment as the country want to elevate the airfield as
truly gateway to
Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater and the
Serengeti National parks, the world
famous destinations visited by hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists
from all over the world.
Tanzania Association
of Tour Operators (TATO) Executive Officer, Sirili Akko welcomed the face-lift
but said the KADCO should also develop other tourism-related infrastructure and
recreation facilities to lure overseas tourists.
Already KADCO has developed
a comprehensive plan that would see the 110 sq km estates surrounding the
Tanzania's second largest airport, transformed into a state-of-the art, modern
duty free shopping city.
Apart from the air
terminal, the KIA area, strategically placed at the meeting point of
three Northern Zone regions of Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Manyara, has for many
years remained a wide stretch of unoccupied land as far as the eye can see, but
this was bound to soon change.
All roads and international
air routes would have in the future, be leading to KIA.
According to the master
plan, the location was to become a 'city' at the center of Moshi and Arusha,
where prospective investors were to establish, massive shopping centers, high
class tourist hotels, Duty free ports, Export Processing Zone, Educational
Institutions, custom bonded warehouses, curio shops, golf courses and a large
game ranch.
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