More than seven years ago, Malawi had two international airports, Kamuzu and Chileka.
More than seven years later….one would expect an additional airport, or a face lift to the already existing ones … but the story remains the same.
Seven plus years later, Malawi has Kamuzu international airport as one fully functional airport whilst the other, Chileka international airport is partly closed due to construction works that have been going on for years now.
Aviation in Malawi is an area of great untapped potential.
Worldwide countries rely on aviation as a source of economic growth as well as a channel for international trade and tourism.
Countries like Ethiopia and Kenya have proven determined to make air travel a primary focus on economic development.
But what is happening to the renovations at the airport?
A question to the department of civil aviation through its president James chakwera, who says at the moment the project is not funded.
However, the parliamentary committee on public infrastructure through its chairperson Uchizi Mkandawire says government should be mindful of the interest that is generated when payments to contractors are not honored.
Concurring with Mkandawire is Richard Mdyetseni executive director of the tourism council, who says government needs to stop the new projects it started and finish the ones it has abandoned.
But how much is the country losing from not having a fully functional airport?
Richard Mdyetseni is executive director of the tourism council who says the tourism sector is losing out as the southern region where the airport is located has major tourism attraction like the lake and many other places that have the potential to attract a lot of business players into the country.
Chakwera however says the completion of the airport is sketchy as the department of civil aviation is lacking enough resources
Mkandawire however says time has come for government to avoid becoming too overwhelmed with projects but rather embark on projects that it knows it will be able to complete.
Mdyetseni asks government to speed up the process of finishing the project at the airport which is slowing down tourism in the country as some planes are not able to land at Chileka airport which is making aviation in the country to be expensive.
On his part, Minister of Transport Jacob Hara says his ministry is putting in place steps that will make sure that the airport is fully functional before the year ends.
Now we wait a time when the once attractive Chileka international airport gets back to its lost glory.