Mozambique’s Civil Aviation Institute (IACM) has revealed that it is implementing a masterplan for the 2025-37 period with the aim of preparing the country to ‘take advantage’ of the opportunities that will arise in the aviation sector, as part of the World Bank-funded 24 billion meticals (380 million dollars) Southern Africa connectivity project.
The central idea of the project is to reduce trade and transport costs, as well as increase private investment along the corridors, benefiting Malawi and Mozambique.
To this end, the IACM’s chairmans, João de Abreu, revealed that the masterplan is budgeted at around 75.8 million meticals (1.2 million dollars), pointing out that it will bring some innovations to the national system, such as the total revision of the current air transport policy, which is out of step with reality, since it dates back to 2011.
‘The civil aviation system is a fundamental part of strengthening the competitiveness of commercial and logistical corridors, both in supporting the flow of business passengers and in channelling some import and export chains for high-value products,’ he explained.
According to the official, ‘the implementation of a master plan is one of the premises of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and, as Mozambique is a member of this organisation, this long-term strategic planning document is crucial for the country to be in line with the desirable levels for the development of the civil aviation sector’.
João de Abreu revealed that Ideaconsult International is the company that has been selected to develop Mozambique’s civil aviation master plan, saying that the company was set up in 2006 in Tunisia, and that it is a consultancy firm specialising in transport engineering studies, strategy, land use planning, environmental, economic, institutional and social studies, technical assistance and project management.
