Bulawayo airport completion set for month-end

WORK on upgrading the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (JMN) is expected to be completed before the end of this month, an official said yesterday.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) public relations and communications manager, Mrs Annajulia Hungwe said the contractor was expected to handover the new look airport to CAAZ at the end of this month.

"We are optimistic the refurbished airport will be operational by end of this month," she said.

Mrs Hungwe said 10 companies were engaged to upgrade the airport.

She said lack of funds delayed the completion of the upgrading work.

"There are many challenges that we encountered but the major one was lack of resources."

The upgrading of Mqabuko International Airport, named after the late Vice President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, was initially scheduled to be completed in December 2004.

The latest completion date was for the airport to be ready for use before this year's Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in April but this deadline was again missed.

The rehabilitation work started more than 10 years ago.