MILLION DOLLARS FOR NEW DOMESTIC TERMINAL

Mozambique’s publicly-owned Airports Company (ADM) has announced that it will soon embark on the construction of a new domestic passenger terminal at Maputo Airport, budgeted at 110 million US dollars.The Chairperson of the ADM Board of Directors, Manuel Veterano, announced the plans during a gala dinner on Friday given on the occasion of the inauguration of the new international terminal.The international terminal cost about 75 million dollars, provided by China, as a low interest loan. China is also expected to finance the construction of the new domestic terminal. There will first be investment of three million dollars in acquiring new fire fighting equipment and a new VOR (very high frequency omni-directional radio), a standard radio navigation system for aircraft.“After this phase, there follows the construction of the largest and most modern domestic terminal in the country, and a building for the firemen, a total investment of 110 million dollars”, said Veterano. The two terminals and all the ancillary equipment, taken together, amount to an investment of 190 million dollars.Currently, ADM is also negotiating with private companies the possibility of building a new hotel and a range of offices on land owned by the airport. “All these actions will give our airport a modern and safe infrastructure, in line with international standards”, said Veterano.ADM is responsible for managing 19 airports and aerodromes, of which five have the status of international airports. Modernisation covers not only Maputo, but several other key airports. Thus the old military air base at Nacala, on the northern coast, is to be turned into an international airport. The runway will be repaired and extended, and a new apron will be built that can accommodate four planes simultaneously, including two large aircraft for international flights.“All the airport buildings will be entirely new, with a total covered area of 16,000 square metres”, according to an ADM document on Nacala. The Brazilian government has promised to finance the Nacala airport to the tune of 80 million dollars.