MAUN AIRPORT FLYING HIGH
Venue set to receive Aviation Safety Certificate
Maun International Airport is expected to be certified in aviation safety during the first quarter of this year, President Mokgweetsi Masisi has promised.
Located at the entrance to one of the world’s heritage sites, Okavango Delta, it will be the second local airport to receive this classification after Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, which was certified last year.
Officially opening the refurbished airport last Friday, Masisi indicated that the certification will be carried out to satisfy Abuja Declaration on
Aviation Safety.
“Target number 7 requires African member states to ensure that at least one international aerodrome in its territory is certified by 2022. Botswana is proud to have fulfilled this target and plans are underway to certify other international airports. I am pleased to announce that Maun International Airport will be the next to be certified during the first quarter of this year,” Masisi stated.
Maun airport, whose expansion project began ten years ago, is one of the busiest in Southern Africa, with light aircrafts constantly transporting passengers, especially tourists, into the Delta.
In 2021, the airport recorded a total of 116,345 passengers with the number increasing drastically to 200,929 between January and October 2022.
“Botswana cannot afford to lag behind in developing the capacity of our aviation services and quality of our airports to accommodate increase in both passenger and air freight traffic. Being always prepared is the watchword!” he declared.
Initially opened in 1996, the airport has seen a huge upsurge of air traffic and passengers over the years.
Although the outbreak of Covid-19 meant that only 12,613 passengers passed through the airport in 2020, before that they had been averaging around 55,000.
This number rose significantly in the last two years, with Masisi noting the new building has been optimised to efficiently handle and process 270 passengers per hour.
Maun airport expansion has been ongoing since 2012, with the expansion of the terminal building, construction works on the terminal runway extension, air traffic control tower and technical building.
The project included refurbishment and expansion of the terminal building from 649 square metres to 2,209 square meters. The runway was extended to 3.7 km to accommodate aircraft equivalent to Boeing 737 and Airbusa320.
This infrastructure development is said to demonstrate the government’s dedication to economic diversification, geared at reducing the country’s overdependence on diamonds.
“It signals our resolve, to leverage aviation and services to enhance our campaign for diversified and inclusive participation in tourism as an important contribution to the nation’s economic growth, bojanala bona le kgwebo (tourism has business),” maintained Masisi.
“You serve as the country’s first point of contact for visitors, reflecting how the nearly 2.4 million citizens of this nation are perceived. Therefore you have an obligation to excite the customers in your service provision,” the first citizen encouraged Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) to uphold highest professional standards of customer service in their field.