The Victoria Falls airport will be commissioned by President Robert Mugabe on Friday the 18th of November. The $150 million project was an upgrade to the then existing airport and was funded by the Export-Import Bank of China’s loan to the Zimbabwean government. According to the Financial Gazette, CAAZ announced the commissioning and in their statement said, “The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) would like to inform its valued customers and the general public that the Victoria Falls International Airport Development Project is set to be commissioned by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe on Friday the 18th of November 2016,”
The upgrading of the airport was meant to increase ease of access to the town which is a major tourist attraction. The town is named after the falls which are one of the seven wonders of the world. The upgrade project included a new 4km runway, an international terminal, a new control tower, and a new fire station. The airport is now expected to be able to handle 1.5 million passengers a year, which will mean more business for the resort town. The airport is now able to handle long haul flights from around the world and the CAAZ will look to lure more international airlines to Victoria Falls. Economists have predicted that the town might become a Special Economic Zone. The airport will give the tourism industry a much needed boost.
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