Harare airport now a danger to aircraft

Posted in News Updates on 7th Feb, 2008

                                                              By Peter Chikondi

HARARE: Harare International Airport runway has outlived its life after years of service without major rehabilitation.
 
The runway was constructed more than 50 years ago and the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) has failed to rehabilitate the runway due to a critical shortage of funding, a confidential CAAZ document has revealed.

The CAAZ document titled: “2008 Proposed Capital Projects Budget," dated October 25 2007 stated that the Harare International Airport runway had gone for more than 57 years without rehabilitation against a design life of 20 years.
  
 The situation poses a danger aircraft landing on the runway.
  
 The document reveals that the strengthening of the runway was initially scheduled for completion alongside the new passenger terminal building but was halted due to lack of funding.
  
 "The runway pavement for the Harare International Airport is now overdue for strengthening with an overlay.
  
 In general the design life for runways is 20 years after which rehabilitation should be carried out.
  
 Harare Airport runway was built in the 1950's," the document said.
  
 In 1991 a pavement evaluation was carried out which recommended that the runway and taxiway pavements needed strengthening in order to sustain the current and expected loading.
  
 However due to lack of funding, this programme was split between the terminal building and the rehabilitation.
  
 The operational limitations therefore persisted due to the runway, CAAZ said.
  
 CAAZ chief executive officer David Chawota said only 2.1 kilometres of the 5 kilometres runway had been serviced.