Lusaka International Airport Facelift Programme in Top Gear

March 1, 2004

Airport Facelift Programme in Top Gear
AllAfrica.com, Africa
    

The airport upgrade programme which National Airports
Corporation (NACL) embarked on almost three years ago
is beginning to bear fruit, more so, with the
installation of a new K12 billion airfield lighting
system at Lusaka International Airport being the
latest innovative project to talk about.

"We are operating in a highly competitive industry
which requires us to move in tandem with global
developments," rightly observes, NACL managing
director, Chileshe Kapwepwe as she reflects on the
various projects which the corporation has
successfully implemented under difficult and trying
times.

  
Mordenisation and upgrading of airport infrastructure
the world over is an on going exercise and on the
local scene, NACL, the country's provider of airport
facilities and air navigations services has since 2000
endeavoured to keep pace with developments in other
regional airports.

It began with the rehabilitation of Livingstone
International Airport terminal building. Where once
stood an old "country house"like structure there is a
modern terminal building exhibiting its elegance and
splendour that displays an aura of welcome to the many
tourists and visitors that throng the airport daily.

The airport's terminal building was rehabilitated and
the 2.3 kilometre runway was resurfaced recently.

Air travellers to Livingstone will definitely find out
that using Livingstone International Airport is in
itself a breathtaking and pleasurable experience.

While work was in progress in Livingstone, the
Corporation had another project on the cards - that of
modernising ground handling equipment, fire and rescue
and security.

To this effect, a state to state loan signed between
the Zambian and Belgian governments complemented by a
commercial loan obtained by NACL from KBC Bank of
Belgium facilitated the airport infrastructure
upgrade.

The state to state loan of Euro 5.1 million
facilitated procurement of emergency, rescue, fire
fighting and security equipment while the Euro 5.2
million commercial loan was for the upgrade of
terminal building at Lusaka International Airport and
passenger handling equipment for Ndola, Livingstone
and Mfuwe International Airports.

Six new fire tenders and two ambulances were procured
through the state to state loan facility and have
since been distributed to all the four designated
international airports in Zambia.

New security equipment has also been installed at
Lusaka International Airport. With the impact of the
events of September 11 still vividly lingering in the
aviation sector, new investment in aviation security
is of paramount importance.

The concourse at Lusaka International airport was
given a new facelift and now boasts of state of the
art check in counters with modern scales and a baggage
conveyor.

There are modern information display terminals mounted
in strategic places of the airport building and to the
relief of many travellers, there is a new escalator,
the only one of its kind in Zambia, leading to the
international departure lounge. Days of passengers
dragging their feet on steps are long gone.

On the air side, new apron buses, water and toilet
bowsers, air starters and covered motorised passenger
steps grace the apron while the installation of a new
airfield lighting system has added more value to the
services which NACL is rendering to its customers.

Starting the year on a good note is what everybody
else craves for and the Corporation appears to have
moved a step further in that direction with the
installation and completion of the new airfield
lighting system on the runway and taxiway at Lusaka
International Airport and its subsequent commissioning
on 15th January this year.

The airfield lighting system which has been installed
at a cost of K12 billion is another project which is
worthy of note and made possible again through the
Belgian government.

Of the total cost, the Belgian government made
available K10 billion while the Zambian Government
through NACL provided K2 billion counterpart funding.

The project consisted of installation of 1,124 pieces
of lighting equipment on the runway and taxiway.

It involved replacement of approach lights on both
east and west ends of the runway, replacement of
threshold lights, stop bars, runway guard lights,
robots and apron edge lights.

Other lights which were replaced included the
Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPIS), airfield
guidance signs and wind socks and associated back up
power plants for all lighting equipment.

The installation works of the project started in March
2001 and was completed last December.

Speaking at the colourful commissioning ceremony of
the new airfield lighting system, Ms Kapwepwe noted
that the project was a very important development in
Zambia and in the region because it had strengthened
the air transport sub-sector by providing safe and
efficient aviation facilities through modernisation of
infrastructure.

There are several benefits to be derived from the
completion of the lighting project among them,
reliability of the system, improved standby power
supply, enhanced visibility of the runway and taxiway
and safety of aircraft operations as well as improved
marketability for night operations.

Commissioning the new airfield lighting system,
Communications and Transport Deputy Minister, Harrigan
Mazimba observed that with the advent of the era of
globalisation, the aviation sector was fast becoming a
dominant mode of transport for passengers travelling
from one continent to another.

"Rehabilitation of the airfield lighting system is
indeed a giant step taken in the right direction and
it is a clear testimony of Government's commitment to
ensuring that the transport sector performs a pivotal
role of acting as a catalyst in the economic and
social development of our country and the region as a
whole," Mr Mazimba said.

Other than the airfield lighting and airport upgrade
projects, in air navigation services, the Corporation
has installed a radio link at Lusaka International
Airport to replace an obsolete cable that links the
Lusaka air traffic control centre with controller to
pilot radio transmission equipment.

The Corporation has also installed a new state of the
art Voice Logging System (VLS) at Lusaka, Ndola,
Livingstone and Mfuwe International Airports replacing
old and obsolete equipment that were used for
recording air traffic messages between air traffic
control units and controllers.

New Non Direction Beacons (NDBs) have also been
installed in Kasama, Mongu, Chisamba and Solwezi
replacing old and obsolete beacon equipment thus
greatly improving navigation facilities at provincial
airports and Lusaka International Airport aircraft
holding point in Chisamba.

Furthermore, the Corporation, in accordance with the
International Civil Aviation Organisation African
Indian Ocean implementation plan, hasbegan to
establish Global Navigation Satellite system (GNSS)
approach procedures for Lusaka and Livingstone
International airports.

Once fully established and approved, the procedures
will improve navigation of aircraft in the entire
Zambian air space.

The Zambia Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP)
which contains valuable information about safety and
operational aeronautical requirements for Zambia has
been produced with the Corporation pre-financing the
project.

If these projects which have been completed are
anything to go by, they certainly speak volumes about
NACL's desire to achieve its mission statement of
maintaining and developing aviation infrastructure and
services to internationally acceptable standards of
civil aviation, on a commercial basis ensuring a
healthy return on investment.


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