13 August 2021
Last update on Friday, August 13, 2021 At 3:51 PM
As a landlocked country, Zambia is banking on the development of its air transport sector in order to boost its trade with the outside world. To achieve this, the southern African nation has drawn up a national plan to modernize its airport infrastructure.
Zambian President Edgar Lungu took part in the August 5 inauguration ceremony of Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport, the country’s second largest airport hub, formerly known as Copperbelt International Airport. Located 20 km from the town of Ndola, one of the largest in the Copperbelt mining province, the infrastructure designed to accommodate more than one million passengers per year comprises several structures.
In this case “a 12,000 square meter terminal, a 28 meter high control tower, a category 10 fire station, an aircraft hangar and a 3.5 km runway.” Started in 2017, the project, which is part of a government roadmap aimed at boosting the country’s infrastructure, benefited from financial support from China, which provided the entire investment via the Exim Bank of China. With a loan estimated at $ 397 million.
The design of the project as well as the execution of the works were carried out by AVIC International Holding Corporation, a Chinese firm based in Hong Kong active in the field of aviation. By operationalizing this infrastructure, the President of Zambia sees a wealth of business opportunities for local businesses.
The aim is to “considerably strengthen the tourism and industrialization of the country”.
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