Construction will begin at the end of the year
NELSPRUIT Airport is to undergo a major upgrade as part of the overall plan for the development of Kruger Park International Airport (KPIA), according to Izak Fick, c.e.o. of the KPIA Development Company.
"The airport at present is in a dreadful state, but our upgrading plan will be completed by end October," he said.
The existing runway is to be demolished and will be increased from nine metres to 23 metres and extended by 198 metres. The existing terminal building will be demolished as it stands in what is a landing safety area.
"It has been illegal all along," says Fick. "In the meantime, the investors will build a temporary runway that will be increased in width from nine to 10,5 metres."
SA Airlink aircraft, which have eight-metre undercarriages, have had to operate on a nine-metre wide strip in the past, he said.
KPIA has won the bid from the Mpumalanga Provincial Cabinet to build an airport at Hazyview.
About half a billion rand will be invested in the project backed by Daimler Benz and Honeywell Airport Systems. There are a few 'bureaucratic hurdles' before construction begins. This is expected to start towards the end of the year. The airport will take about 18 months to complete from commencement date.
This includes the construction of two access roads including a toll road that is linked to the Maputo Corridor and follows the western boundary of the Kruger National Park.
KPIA won the bid against eight contenders including the developers of Primkop. One of the problems with Primkop was that it could only be operational for certain days of the year because of the area's climatic conditions. It would also have required more capital expenditure from the provincial authorities, Fick said.
By Leonard Neill
Copyright Now Media (Pty) Ltd
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