Expansion of JNIA airport in Dar to take effect two years to come

International (JNIA) airport in Dar es Salaam which is currently being worked upon by the government of Tanzania and that of China, is yet to be approved, an official with the Tanzania Airport Authority (TAA) has said. TAA’s Manager for Planning and designing, Engineer George Sambali told this magazine an exclusive interview when visited in his office recently that, due to this delay, the construction of the terminal three would effectively take place after two years to come. He said, meanwhile the government is looking for enough money for the preliminary preparations as a matter of agency to clear the area from where residents of Kipawa suburb in the city were vacated. However, he added that on the other hand, the government was also scouting for an appropriate strategic investor to undertake the expansion programmes before the actual construction work starts.

The scenery of the front view of the Mwalimu Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam.

According to the Minister for Infrastructure, Dr. Shukuru Kawambwa. another demolition exercise to pave the expansion of the airport is soon to be set in, this time people who resides in Kigilagila and Kipunguni A suburbs, would be affected by the exercise. In view of this, the government would set aside the money for their compensation prior to the evaluation of their properties for this 2010/11 financial year. According to the Minister, the actual demolition exercise would effectively start in January 2011. The aim of expansion at JNIA is to accommodate the number of tourists and other normal travelers who are currently getting congested when checking out and coming in at the terminal buildings at points of entry and departure.

A demolished section of Kipawa suburb whose residents have been vacated to pave the way for the expansion of the JNIA airport in Dar es Salaam.

Careful watchers says that, Tanzania as a tourist destination centre was not competitive enough in the region and if things would not be improved, tourists might land at a neighboring country and come to view the country’s attractions by road. Terminal two at JNIA was designed for one million passengers a year, but the facility handles 1.5 million passengers, hence congestion resulting into long queues at checking and at immigration counters. According to TAA’s Director General Mr. Prosper Tesha, the passenger lounges at terminal two have become too small as the number of travelers have increased..