GOVERNMENT is taking practical steps to expand international airports to transform Zambia into a regional hub for air traffic.
Ministry of Transport and Communications permanent secretary Mbololwa Muyaba said Government is working hard to ensure that the international airports start handling wide body aircrafts that will in turn help enhance the growth of the tourism sector.
Ms Muyaba said this in Lusaka yesterday when she commissioned six fire tenders the government has bought for the Zambia National Airports Corporation (ZNAC).
“Today marks a great milestone for Zambia’s fire rescue services capability as I commission six fire tenders into service.
“This will boost Government’s vision of transforming Kenneth Kaunda International Airport into a hub of air transport in the southern African region,” she said.
Ms Muyaba said Government is working hard to reposition Zambia as an air transport regional hub, adding that plans are also under-way to rehabilitate a number of aerodromes to increase access by air.
She said Government has resolved to modernise all international airports to meet international standards, especially that Zambia is a regional hub.
Ms Muyaba said fire tenders are an important factor in setting up of an airport and are also significant in determining the size of aircraft that can operate at an aerodrome.
She said the six fire tenders bring the total number to 23, in addition to nine ambulances that Government has procured for the ZNAC.
And ZNAC director-general Robinson Misitala thanked Government for procuring the six fire tenders, saying these will help promote safety at the airport.
LT you were supposed to attach photos of the said Fire Tenders.
And President Obama just commissioned 6 fire tenders at JFK International airport as reported by the Wall Street Journal
KANITUNDILE, YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME WITH ZAMBIAN JOURNALISM. THAT IS ROCKET SCIENCE TO THEM.
I wish the Government stops having wet dreams and instead concentrate on the current issues.
By the way, what are “practical steps” needed to create “regional hub”?
good question!!!! I am dying to know too
Zambia to be the hub?? What are the effects of Dagga usage and smoking??
Good luck GRZ trying to grab regional hub status from JKIA.
Dreaming paper tigers. Tourism is far from being a 14 billion industry in Zambia. Reason, hotels, guest houses, taxis, reception at entry points just put off even a few tourists who come to Zambia in turn they speak bad about Zambia in Facebooks, internet and by word of mouth that stops many from visiting our beautiful country, few eating places, hotels are very expensive. All these need to be aligned before making Zambia a hub. Dreaming foolishly
Lol
Regional hub… Lol
Viva PF Govt..
VIVA HH 2016
There is no need to politicize the National Airline. How can you talk about regional hub status without a national carrier? Any move that reduces tourist arrivals is not right. It is advisable to let technocrats do their work in a conductive atmosphere free of political interference. Tourism stands for clean dollars based on tourist arrivals daily. Tourism is more dollar generating as a sector than agriculture and fisheries. All tourism requires are technocratic solutions to technical problems. The country can not afford to reduce tourist arrivals in order to appear to IMF friendly. Close a mine, open an airline, That is how sound economy policy looks like.
Having a national airline does not attract or equate to increased tourists numbers..it does not work like that…how many times is someone going to explain to you people…airline in Africa is not competitive as the skies are not open or liberalized; go and read about Open Skies for Africa or Implementing the Yamoussoukro Decision….I’m tired of explaining the selfsame thing over and over again.
Simply day dreaming ….you want to see what an international airport or regional hub is; go to Cairo or Jo’burg or Nairobi; these airports have the capacity to transfer 2500 passengers on 3 A380 airbuses in 2 hours….our KK looks like a small bush airbase in comparison to these.
That is impossible with current high cost of air fuel and handling charges by zambians. Too many middle men upping prices for nothing. Mwanawase dismantled the middle men after BA stopped flying to Zambia, but since PF whole chains of companies are middlemen making it unreasonable to do anything at zambians airports. As usual we have pipo wanting to get rich overnight by overcharging.
Nigerians and Zambians have been sleeping for 50 years! These countries are strategically placed to become hubs but they like spectating. The boers created the infra-structure needed for such a hub while Nigeria and Zambia were admiring their oil and copper reserves