Flagship airport’s temporary upgrades to cost an arm and a leg
The Namibia Airports Company (NAC) is set to begin temporary upgrades at the Hosea Kutako International Airport to ease congestion as the company expects growth in traffic over the years.
The company at a media brief this week said that the expansion of the airport is anticipated to take 8 months before completion at a cost of N$237 million (US$19 million), and the contract for the work will be awarded in June 2018, in line with the Namibia Procurement Act.
The airports company said that planned engagements with relevant stakeholders will take place and the contract administration and site supervision will have minimal effect on airport operations.
As for funding procurement, the company said that they are currently determining funding options for the new airport terminal and related investments.
“The options include, but not limited to, a private public partnerships, treasury funding, raising money in local currency from local sources against the its balance sheet. Meanwhile, all projections are that traffic volumes will double in another 10 to 15 years and that it would therefore necessitate construction of a new airport terminal and improvements of the runway, taxiway and the apron,” NAC added in a statement.
According to the airports company, the expansions will take place at the check-in hall, security screening point, arrivals hall and the luggage handling areas.
The current terminal building was constructed in 1985 to handle 250,000 passengers a year, however, at present, the airport handles in nearly a million passengers per year, mainly because Namibia is a very popular tourist destination and the fact that there is a significant increase in the number of international airlines serving numerous international destinations.
