Shein opens terminal II construction in Z'bar.

President of Zanzibar Dr Ali Mohamed Shein

President of Zanzibar Dr Ali Mohamed Shein laid a foundation stone to the new terminal building at Abeid Aman Karume International Airport in Zanzibar yesterday, following completion of a fence construction around the air field.

 

Dr Shein said the construction of the fence will prevent both children and animals access to the area posing threat to the lives of passengers on landing.

 

He said according to the civil aviation laws, the runways could have been closed down and an apparent closure of the airport, given lack of a fence that could have guaranteed security, causing    a huge loss of government revenues.

 

He said his government has made efforts to ensure that Zanzibar gets the modern airport with the required international standards, enabling international flights including  Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Rwanda and Turkey to seek direct routes to the Isles as a part of the implementation of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) 2010 election manifesto.

 

He also boasted of his government to have improved the Isles’ infrastructures such as roads, ports and airports and to have attracted local and foreign investors, saying it is also a part of the manifesto implementation.

 

He said his government would also stick to its resort to improve Pemba Airport by installing lights to enable 24 hour landing in a scheme expected for completion in the next two months, paving way for construction works for  a new passenger terminal and runway expansion.

 

Zanzibar Deputy Permanent Secretary Ministry of Infrastructure and Communications Twahir Abdulla said construction of the terminal building that started in 2010 after Zanzibar government signed an agreement with Beijing Construction Company in 2009 will cost $128.74m worth loan by Chinese Exim Bank.

 

 Upon completion next year the terminal building is expected to serve 1.6 million passengers per year.  

 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN