Government speaks optimism that terminal building refurbishment works at Chileka International Airport in Blantyre will see its completion this year in December.
In an interview, Minister of Transport Hon. Francis Kasaila, says the terminal building ground floor works were completed, remaining with the upper floor expected to complete in December this year.
The terminal building at the airport was in a dilapidated state and created congestion for the arrival and departure sections posing security challenges as well compromising the security for airlines due to overcrowding.
The refurbishment works on other hand have crippled airline services and in the mean time, the newly licensed airline ‘Fastjet’ has been denied permission to introduce another Blantyre-Dar es Salaam flight route due to the problem.
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| Kasaila |
“We have not given them (Fastjet) permission to operate between De res Salaam and Blantyre because there are number of issues that have to be sorted out.” Said Kasaila “One of them being status of terminal building.”
Kasaila assured that by December this year, the terminal building will be able to accommodate more airlines and that, Government will consider allowing airline operators to resume services including introduction of Blantyre- Dar es Salaam route by Fastjet.
“What we are doing at Chileka is to make sure that we complete the rehabilitation of terminal building so that all other processes and security checks are done properly.
“Now we have completed the rehabilitation for the ground floor for the terminal building and we are now working to complete the upper floor for the terminal building which may complete in December and we will be able to accommodate more airlines.” Explained Kasaila
After completion of rehabilitation of the terminal building, Kasaila says government will begin to rehabilitate the runaways.
“Without upgrading them we are not going to accommodate more traffic from the operators because conditions do not allow us.”
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