The Zambia Airports Corporation Limited says it is looking to strengthen its non-aeronautical revenue-generating projects at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.
ZACL Communications and Brand Manager Mweembe Sikaulu says this is part of the Corporations Strategic Plan for the year 2017-2021 which will see it turn the area around the airport into an Aerotropolis or airport city.
Ms Sikaulu said a land utilisation plan is currently being developed through the services of a Dutch based consultancy firm, Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO) who submitted a finalised plan for 550 acres of land at the airport in Lusaka.
She said NACO has worked on various airport and airport city projects, including Amsterdam, Shenzhen, Mexico City and Western Sydney and has a proven track record to support ZACL’s ambitious airport infrastructure programme.
Ms Sikaulu said the land already has developments underway including a shopping mall, an office park and two hotels however ZACL expects the Land Utilisation Plan to present the Corporation with numerous business opportunities that can be explored once completed.
She said the Cargo Terminal will also provide an opportunity for the revival of agriculture and horticulture exports among other industries.
Ms Sikaulu said consequently, NACO’s work has been varied to cover all the available land within the airports precinct.
She said in a statement that the Aerotropolis concept has an airport as the centre of the city activity, with all ancillary city functions revolving around the airport itself – both figuratively and geographically.
Ms Sikaulu noted that with airports becoming ‘cities’, the importance of generating non-aeronautical revenue streams will continue to have a major impact on the developments in the aviation sector and contribute to the positioning of the airports competiveness.
She said once developed, the airport city will contribute towards the development of the country’s existing industries as drivers of growth and will also bring about new opportunities and better the lives of locals by creating more investment, business and job opportunities.
Ms Sikaulu said Lusaka is believed to be the fastest growing city in central Africa, according to the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and Zambia as a country has one of the world’s fastest growing populations with the UN predicting numbers will triple by the year 2050 which gives the Corporation an added advantage of realising its vision of making Zambia an aviation hub as we are centrally located and continue to attract foreign investors.
Oh you mean the Chinese are looking to increase their profits. Useless zambians. I don’t use African airlines anymore.i don’t want to die
So this is when you are realizing that you have been having income leakage at your airports dear dullards? That is prime real estate where sleep deprived brains make unsound financial decisions bangwele. Make sure it has more shops than a mall and poach seasoned retail managers from shoprite to run the operations not the usual cadre or nepotism appointments, airports are serious income generators world over no wonder you see countries fight to have the most beautiful or the largest within their borders. Funny how someone would leave their farm in newzealand and come to check out your so called ‘largest elegant airport only to be trapped in a cross sell by the gallant men and women of retail who keep the counters running. Come on jump on the wagon.
leave the land for the future generation, since you guys have no head. those who are not yet born will come use it for expansion of runway and airport
Lungu should move statehouse there, seeing as that is where he spends most of his time
Good move but dont finish all the land …leave some for expansion. Learn from what is happening with road expansions..they never planned for expansion of roads.
So Jean Kapata and Mambilima Chief Justice have not yet allocated this land to themselves.? The biggest surprise of news on LT website I have ever came across the last 5 years