Refurbishment and construction at the new Victoria Falls International Airport are complete, reports the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe.

According to Public Relations Manager, Annajulia Hungwe, all the planned works on the new-look airport have been completed, paving way for the official commissioning of the airport on Friday.

Hungwe told Tourism Update that the development project entailed construction of a new international terminal building with the necessary passenger processing facilities; construction of a new 4km runway and associated taxiways; and construction of a new air traffic control tower with associated equipment. A new fire station, sewer ponds and water reservoir have also been completed.

The project also entailed the refurbishment of the old terminal building, which was converted into a domestic terminal, and the expansion of car parks to accommodate the anticipated increased demand for parking space.

Operators in the tourism industry have welcomed the commissioning of the new airport, which now has the capacity to handle 1.5 million passengers per annum.

Africa Albida Tourism Chief Executive, Ross Kennedy, said the new airport should take the destination and region to a new level in terms of arrivals.

“The socio-economic benefits will be widespread as increased and new access drives the tourism sector’s growth with arrivals from additional source markets.” Kennedy said there was a lot of interest in the new Victoria Falls International Airport at the recent World Travel Market in London.

“I met with many tour operators, media and airlines at the show, and I can confirm that the interest is very high and that the travel industry is excited by the opening of the new airport.

“Zimbabwe remains a ’hot destination’ on the schedules of many tour operators across the globe,” Kennedy said.