Botswana aspires to be a regional transport corridor
President Mokgweetsi Masisi says the National Vision 2036 espouses that Botswana will be developed into a regional transport corridor, for moving and connecting people, goods and services to and from the rest of the world.
He said in this regard, the country’s airport infrastructure should blend the attributes of functional adequacy with aesthetic elegance and feel, and deliver excellence and reliability in services, in order to realise this vision.
According to the president, government is fully aware that air transport infrastructure is a major enabler in any nation’s socio- economic development. In an increasingly globalised world, air travel makes it easier for people, commodities, and services to move between rural areas, towns, cities and countries. Thus an efficiently functioning airport terminal is the critical hub of all these movements, he added.
“Furthermore, air transportation also magnificently facilitates the making of policy, management, business, and personal decisions in a seamless manner that is neither encumbered by spatial separation nor time zones.
“This is made possible by the availability of internet and email communication platforms on air carriers, thereby allowing the sharing of correspondence in real time while individuals are on the go. When COVID- 19 ravaged the whole world, aviation facilitated the timely delivery of essential medical services.
“Workers at the airports continued providing services to the country at great health risk to them. Our airports had to continue operating despite losing income due to the closure of international borders, loss of tenants, and restrictions on passenger movements,” Masisi said when commissioning the refurbished Maun Airport.
The president explained that accordingly, Botswana cannot afford to lag behind in developing the capacity of her aviation services and quality of her airports to accommodate increases in both passenger and air freight traffic. Being always prepared is the watchword, Masisi said.
“The infrastructure I am commissioning today is an upgrade of the old building, officially opened in 1996. It has over time delightfully seen an upsurge in aviation activities prior to the outbreak of the COVID- 19 pandemic. The airport runway was extended to 3.7 Kilometres in length to accommodate aircraft equivalent to Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.”
Masisi pointed out that in 2019, the terminal building handled some 55 538 passengers, but because of the devastating impact of Covid- 19, globally and locally, the number reduced to 12 613 during the year 2020. However, he said the post Covid- 19 recovery in national economies, and air transport, in general, has since happened in the past year and “we expect even more passenger traffic through this airport.”
According to Masisi, the commissioning of another infrastructure that will, among others, facilitate the ease of access by tourists to the Delta; is a pristine piece of God’s creation in Botswana.
The president indicated that the works of the project entailed the refurbishment and expansion of Maun International Airport Terminal building from 649 square metres to 2209 square metres. This improvement, he said is in line with our Reset Agenda which aims to create a nation with functional infrastructure and systems that are globally competitive and attractive to foreign investors and tourists.
“Our expectation is that through using this architecturally enhanced facility, the service experience and comfort of the flying community, notably our valued tourist passengers, should surely get a high quality boost in being hassle- free, and thus leave lasting memories on their minds. The operations and services here cannot be business as usual. The overriding consideration is quality,” the president said.
Masisi stated that this infrastructure development also demonstrates government’s dedication to economic diversification, geared at reducing the heavy dependence of the economy on a single product, diamonds. He said it signals the resolve, to leverage on aviation facilities and services to enhance the campaign for diversified and inclusive participation in tourism as an important contributor to the nation’s economic growth.