MR EMANUEL CHAVES, Chairman of the Board of
Directors of the Airports of
Mozambique (ADM), told a FACIM business
seminar that the country's
international airports have to be
reduced to 3 in number.
Southern of the country, he said,
will be served by Maputo
International Airport, the centre
of the country by Beira and the
North by Nacala. Nampula,
Pemba and Vilanculos airports,
among others, will no longer
receive international
traffic directly.
The main purpose of this
measure is to transform Nacala
International Airport which was opened
last year in the north of the
country, into an international
passenger hub to compete with
airports in Johburg, Addis
Ababa, Kenya and Dar es
Salaam.
According to Mr Chaves, quoted
today by Diário de
Moçambqiue, the current
provision of 8 international
airports is not very helpful, and the
proposal has been submitted to
government of Mozambique
for review and approval.
Speaking at a Nacala Airport
promotion seminar this
Thursday at the Maputo
International Fair (FACIM) in
Marracuene, Chaves stressed
that Mozambique will not be
the first to take this course.
South Africa and Ethiopia have
been aware of the economic
benefits of reducing points of
international arrival and
departure in their respective
territories for a long time.
South Africa, for example,
despite being a much larger
country than Mozambique and
having more air traffic, has only
three international airports,
while Ethiopia has only one.
Chaves noyes that the reduction
in the number of international
airports will have to be
balanced by more frequent and
cheaper domestic routes. “We
are already working on this
with Mozambique Airlines,” he
said.
But the focus of the FACIM
seminar was essentially the
recently opened Nacala
International Airport, which,
given the small amount air
traffic it has registered since
last year, is perceived in some
circles to be something of a
white elephant, according to
the Diario de Mozambique.
