The US$150m (R1.7bn) upgrades at Victoria Falls International Airport are scheduled to be completed by the end of September. The airport is 22km south of Victoria Falls town.
“This airport upgrading project is set to provide the perfect backdrop for inbound tourism to the region as well as become the region’s top meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions centre,” the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe said in a statement.
The new runway will cater for category-E-type aircraft, such as the Boeing 747-400, B777 and A340. The current runway will be extended into a parallel taxiway, and a new international passenger terminal with a handling capacity of 1.5 million passengers per annum will also be introduced. The existing terminal building will be also converted into a fully-fledged domestic terminal. The upgrades also include the construction of a new control tower and fire station.
Facilities include:
- Check-in counters with modern technology.
- Airside shuttle bus service.
- Ten Immigration counters and three baggage carousels in the International Arrivals Hall.
- Increased duty free and retail space.
- First-, business-class and smoking lounges.
- Landside restaurants and coffee shops.
- Banking facilities that accommodate Visa and MasterCard transactions.
- Free WiFi.
- Bureau de change, car hire and taxis services.
The Zimbabwean CAA also said there were future plans to build an airport hotel in the medium term.
Is the new Victoria Falls airport a threat to Johannesburg’s position as a hub for travel into Southern Africa?
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