Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL) has moved to allay fears over the alleged imminent closure of Solwezi Airport due to a developing gully.
In a statement issued to ZANIS, ZACL Managing Director, Ngoza Matakala, has clarified that Solwezi Airport, the principal aviation hub in North-Western Province, remains fully operational and has not been affected by the erosion.
Mrs. Matakala explained that while gully erosion has been observed in the vicinity of the airport, regular inspections and mitigation measures have been put in place to monitor the situation.
She said the erosion has not encroached on the runway or impacted flight schedules.
“To address the challenge, ZACL, in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Logistics (MTL) and the Zambia Civil Aviation Authority (ZCAA), has engaged experts from the Geological Survey Department and hydrologists from the Department of Water Affairs,” Mrs Matakala said.
She added that experts conducted a thorough assessment of the gully and provided key recommendations, leading to the completion of a detailed investigation and the development of engineering designs for remedial works in 2024.
“Implementation of these solutions is scheduled to begin this year,” she said
Mrs Ngoma further added that the long term, ZACL has been allocated land in Solwezi for the construction of a new greenfield airport, with preliminary discussions and feasibility studies currently underway, led by the Ministry of Transport and Logistics.
“ZACL has assured the public of its commitment to providing safe, efficient, and reliable air navigation and airport services, ensuring continued connectivity across Zambia, the region, and beyond,” Mrs Matakala said.
Is it not cheaper to just expand the existing airport? We need to stop thinking like a rich country with a healthy balance sheet.
It is not about the expense but the legacy for the current GRZ
repairing/upgrading the old the fact remains it’s still the brainchild of another administration
Can we please introduce a subject about MAINTENANCE from preschool right up to universities in our various curricular
HA HA educating the population means a more astute voter and our GRZ’s only survive on iliteratacy
of its majority, which relates to a drum of chibuku and a nice chitenge
Fvck swahili,
Tonga for the unity of Africa.
And make sure civil servants do and pass it. Just look at all civil service infra-structure andyou will see not a single civils ervant knows about maintenance.Just look at that place next to Lusaka Central Police, the Boma courts Oweee mwebantu!!
@ Tikki. Teaching MAINTENANCE is not about party politics. It’s about teaching young generations an important concept that is non-existent in our culture. It should be ingrained at a very tender age. Maintain your book case, maintain your classrooms & dormitories, maintain your house, car and communal facilities etc. Not just as tasks but explaining the rational, methods, techniques responsibilities, funding etc.We waste alot of borrowed money on building new things only to wreck them because MAINTENANCE does not exist in our minds. From to leadership to the man/boy/girl on the streets.I was sad to see our sports minister asking a Chinese diplomat to help us maintain the Unity stadium in Lusaka. What a culture?
Solwezi needs a new state of art airport. Kenya has very good airport facilities like in Eldoret, Kisumu. They are not expensive, but look very good.
How many commercial planes Zambia has? Instead of airports build two lines of rail running from South to North.. Pillar of GRZ buses can generate a lot of revenue
I like this zacl.