Aviation sector in major take off
THE National Development Strategy 1, which is guiding the country’s developmental trajectory until 2025 has many provisions expected to uplift the country to prosperity.
One of such provisions is the aviation sector, which appears rarely cited when it comes to enunciating the economic blueprint.
Yet, the aviation sector has a huge potential to contribute to the attainment of Zimbabwe’s developmental goals.
The achievement of Vision 2030 aiming at achieving an upper middle income status has seen the aviation sector already contributing immensely, although there is still room for further improvement.
That is why the NDS1 calls for more investments to continue to be directed towards improving the aviation infrastructure, with a lot of work already being done to spruce up the utilities.
The aviation sector plays a major role in uplifting many sectors of the economy, including tourism, agriculture, trade, mining and labour.
For the labour sector, it is a well-known fact that the aviation sector employs millions of people worldwide, and thousands others in Zimbabwe alone.
The hive of activity that characterises the local airports is a sure sign that many people have benefited from employment in the aviation sector.
That is why it is important that NDS1 points to the need to further develop airports and other aviation utilities.
When referring to the aviation sector, it is the airports and airlines that are often talked about.
The sector also includes issues like air navigation service providers, air navigation systems, general aviation and the civil aerospace business.
The upgrading of airports has brought an aura of pride among Zimbabweans, as the ports of entry are being overhauled to reflect international standards.
That is all good and fine, and the Government, through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development, needs to be
praised for the efforts.
But it is also time the aviation sector is viewed holistically, in terms of the potential it has to contribute to Zimbabwe attaining the upper middle income economy by 2030.
The aviation sector is important in the development and rebuilding of the country’s tourism industry considering the damage that Covid-19 has inflicted on the sector.
The development of the aviation sector critically shapes the tourism industry, as it provides essential services that moves forward the sector.
What this means is that there is need to improve the quality of the services in the aviation sector.
In terms of travel, the tourism sector is
regarded as the biggest market that feeds from air transport, making the synergy between tourism and the aviation sector important to development.
Tourism destinations must be accessible and well equipped to facilitate smooth air travel.
This is why the sprucing up of the airports being carried out by the Airport Company of Zimbabwe is important to the aviation sector.
Going forward and in line with NDS1, it is important that more investment is directed towards the development of the aviation sector.
To promote such investments, Public Private Partnerships should be encouraged as a way of ensuring the flow of capital to the upgrading of the facilities.
Such investment will improve the economic benefits, since aviation is the only available networking system that can bring global business to Zimbabwe through tourism and other interests.
In fact, developing countries that have advanced systems and state-of-the-art facilities in the aviation sector have been able to attract such business.
The aviation sector has a big role in facilitating trade through making it easy for countries to participate in the global market.
Markets that were previously inaccessible become easy to reach, and with a shortened time of travelling, thus delivering products as quickly as possible.
One of the major development policy of the New Dispensation is the attraction of investment, hence the setting up of the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency to spearhead the endeavour.
An efficient aviation sector fits in quite well with this aspiration, as investors would be attracted by a country they can easily move in and out.
This entails the development of strong links in the aviation sector where Zimbabwe can be easily accessible from various markets.
This is why the upgrading of airports that is ongoing is important for setting up aviation facilities that attract travellers.
In line with NDS1, Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport is being expanded through the construction of the international terminal building and aprons, installation of four new bridges, a secondary radar system, construction of a VVIP pavilion and an airfield ground lighting and communication system.
The international terminal building and the domestic terminal building will be refurbished, with the project increasing the airport’s holding capacity to six million people per annum from 2,5 million.
Victoria Falls International Airport has since assumed a new look after it upgrading works included construction of the runway, terminal, control tower, parking apron, light navigation, communication systems and other facilities.
The airport has since increased its capacity from 500 000 arrivals per year to two million, while wide body air planes such as Boeing 747 and 767 and Airbus 340 and 380 are now able to take off or land on the newly-built airfield
Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport also underwent major rehabilitation which upgraded it to international standards, with an enhanced runway that can accommodate wide body planes.