According to eTurboNews, the Tanzanian Airport Authority is extending the runway at Mwanza Airport by 3.8 kilometres.
The airport sits about 1,100 metres above sea level. At this elevation, a longer runway is necessary to ensure that fully-loaded aircraft are able to take off safely without having to adhere to weight restrictions. Once completed, it will be Tanzania’s longest runway at about 1,135 metres.
Also tackled under the ongoing renovations and modernisation of Mwanza Airport is the problem of poor drainage, which has in the past, after torrential rains, flooded part of the airport and made operations impossible.
These improvements are part of an agreement made some years ago within the East African Community to improve aviation infrastructure across the region, involving not only airport installations but also navigational equipment.
The Tanzania Airport Authority is also overseeing the construction of a new international terminal at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, the expansion of Kilimanjaro International Airport, and is planning for the modernisation and expansion of Mtwara airport in the south of the country. Bukoba, across Lake Victoria from Mwanza in the extreme western part of Tanzania, has also seen extensive work on its facilities and was re-launched only a few months ago.