Tanzanian airport undertaking R 450-million upgrade

South African consultants Royal Haskoning DHV (RHDHV) and Tanzanian sub-consultant Howard Humphreys have been contracted to oversee the R450-million upgrade to Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro International Airport.

Work would start this month and was expected to be completed by early 2017 and would be funded in part by the Dutch Grant Facility for Infrastructure Development and partly by a commercial loan to the Tanzania Ministry of Finance.

RHDHV spokesperson and project manager Marcel Langeslag explained that the construction contract was the culmination of several years of preparatory work by RHDHV Group companies – its South African operation Netherlands Airport Consultants (Naco) and management consulting company InterVISTAS.

“Strong traffic growth and the mix of domestic and international flights at the airport have resulted in capacity constraints and this rehabilitation and expansion project will relieve congestion and provide capacity for future growth. It will also ensure the airport is given a makeover that will enhance the passenger experience,” he said.

Upgrades and expansions were required to accommodate the expected future growth in air traffic at the popular tourist destination and included the extension of a parallel taxiway to enhance runway capacity, the expansion of the apron to create more aircraft parking stands and the rehabilitation of all airside pavements. Further, the terminal building would be reconfigured and rehabilitated.

Kilimanjaro was one of East Africa’s most popular tourist destinations, with nearby attractions such as the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara and Mount Kilimanjaro.