Deputy Minister of Transport and Public Works Peter Dimba MP on Tuesday paid a courtesy call to the outgoing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Laeker Bekere Tadesse and the incoming CEO Bekere Debay of Malawi Airlines.
Among other issues, the trio discussed the Airline’s preparations for scheduled flights to Mzuzu and Karonga airports expected to commerce this March in compliance to President Chakwera’s directive to re-open the Northern airspace after many years of scheduled flights drought.
The Officials assured the Deputy Minister that the Bombardier is ready for 3 flights a week as soon as Mzuzu Airport runway extension underway is done.
The incoming CEO also reiterated that Ethiopians airways, which is a shareholder in Malawi Airlines up, hold its intention to make Kamuzu International Airport its regional.
“The most exciting news that came in incidentally is our Partner’s intention to make Malawi (KIA), just as they made Lome’, Togo their hub in West Africa, to which our Govt has already officially responded positively,” said Hon Dimba
He further the idea is to make KIA a center of flight connectivity in Southern Africa for both continental and intercontinental flights.
So we would for example have flights from the region bring passengers to KIA connecting to such destinations as Lagos, Cairo, London, Dubai, Doha, Beijing, New York and others on a daily basis
“When this materializes, we will see more than 20 planes parked at KIA and a much higher flight turnover,” said Dimba
The flights hub will boost forex generation at the airport.
“The benefits to the Nation will be enormous and this fits perfectly well into the President Chakwera’s ATM economic recovery strategy,” said Hon Dimba
The hospitality industry too, will greatly benefit such that the few 5-star hotels we have in Lilongwe will not be adequate and here lies an opportunity for investors in the hotel industry.
The multiplier effect of this hub will be phenomenal and the aviation sector contribution to our GDP will be significant.
The deputy Minister assured the CEO of President Chakwera’s commitment to continue the dualization of the M1 road from Kanengo to the Airport turn-off and the expeditious development of the Airport city being spearheaded by our own ADL as we look for funds in the short-medium term for construction of a modern terminal at KIA befitting a flights regional hub.
“I reassured the CEO of our commitment to the creation of the regional hub and that we will clear any bureaucratic impediments in the way and sweep away any economic saboteurs who take 3 months to act on a document that would take only 3 minutes to consider. This, Compatriots is how the attainment of MW63 could be accelerated,” said Hon Dimba