The airports in the cities of Nampula and Pemba will be rehabilitated and expanded by next year to meet the need for larger, modern runways with capacity for large aircraft.
The information was provided by the financial director of Aeroportos de Moçambique (ADM), Saide Júnior, during the ninth edition of the International Tourism Fair – FIKANI 2023, which ended on Saturday, December 2.
At the event, he discussed the crucial relationship between connectivity, infrastructures and airport services, during a panel on the “Situation of Tourism and Connectivity”.
Referring to ADM’s contribution to tourism growth, the source stressed the importance of re-evaluating the potential of all infrastructures, mentioning that, for the time being, Nampula and Pemba airports will undergo improvements in 2024 to respond to the growing flow of planes.
The administrator said on the occasion that the institution he heads had received a complaint from the Mozambique Airlines (LAM) company, highlighting the difficulty it was facing with the runways in question.
For Saide Júnior, the problem is compounded by the fact that there are currently several air transport operators using the same infrastructures, which is why Nampula and Pemba have seen more traffic in recent days.
Currently, the runways are 2,000 meters long and 1,800 meters long, respectively. With the rehabilitation and expansion work, they should be extended to at least 2,400 meters, providing conditions more suited to the demands of today’s challenges.
“The drawings of what needs to be done are already underway and it is hoped that a tender will soon be issued for the execution of these projects,” said the manager, stressing that the aim is not only to meet the needs of the airlines, but also to boost connectivity and facilitate the development of the country’s tourism sector.
