THE US$153 million Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport expansion project is now set for completion in 2022, after work was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
BRIDGET MANANAVIRE
The project, being implemented by China Jiangsu International, was initially scheduled for completion in September 2021.
Upon the completion of construction works and the opening of the new wing, the current terminals will be closed for renovation, the Airports Company of Zimbabwe chief executive, Tawanda Gusha, has told The NewsHawks.
“We are still working with the contractor and the consultants to come up with the exact timelines. But initially, we were targeting to complete this project in September of 2021. And because of these delays, we are now looking at completion of 2022. What is happening is that, when we finish the extensions, we will then close off the current terminals for refurbishments and move operations to the extension,” Gusha said.
“By my calculations, in the next summer, operations will be in the new wings where we are installing brand new air conditioning which we are confident will last us a couple of years according to the manufacturer’s specifications,” Gusha said.
Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport currently has a passenger handling capacity of 2.5 million per annum and the upgrade will increase it to over six million per annum.
Gusha said plans were afoot to move to renewable sources of energy as a solution to power challenges.
