2016-02-12Staff Report 2 Ondangwa The Namibian Airport Company (NAC) is in the final stages of upgrading Ondangwa Airport from a Category 3C to 4C to enable the airport to accommodate larger aircrafts and more passengers. The runway, which was envisaged for completion in July, is likely to be completed by May this year. Phases 1A and 1B were completed successfully, and currently the airport company is busy with Phase 1C, the final stage in the rehabilitation of the runway, which will mean the airport can in future accommodate an A319 Airbus. Currently, the largest aircraft serving Ondangwa airport is Air Namibia’s ERJ 135. The airport was closed for six consecutive weeks to upgrade the runway to required a length of 1.6 km for take-off and landing. The airport was closed from December 20 last year to January 29 this year for the commencement of phase 1B, which involves the expansion of the runway, which is being rehabilitated at the cost of N$208 million. “I’m glad to report that the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) honoured its commitment and opened the airport on time without any delays,” said Toska Sem, the strategic executive of business strategy at NAC. He said the refurbished runway would greatly compliment the renew fuel facilities and new Ondangwa Airport terminal. According to Sem, NAC is in the process of engaging Air Namibia to introduce routes to Walvis Bay and Oranjemund, provided that the demand is adequate. “This capital project brings us a step closer to the attainment of our second strategic priority area of the NAC Strategic Plan, which focuses on rehabilitation and upgrading of airport infrastructure and would in turn lead to the achievement of the NAC’s long-term objective of positioning Namibia as a key aviation connection hub,” said Sem. He said NAC is committed to investing in infrastructure development to meet the rising demands of airports countrywide. Similarly, the airport company is also committed to ensuring their airports meet world-class standards to cater for the needs of the multitude of passengers moving through its airports. Other commercial projects planned for Ondangwa Airport include turnaround facilities, a service station, hotel and hangar development. “We’re inviting the business community to participate in potential investment opportunities as a shared responsibility in terms of public-private partnership initiatives,” Sem said. 2016-02-12Staff Report 2
