Former independent candidate in Uganda’s 2021 presidential elections and a seasoned veteran Journalist Joseph Kabuleta, has taken a swipe at president Tibuhaburwa led government seriously faulting it for failure to market Uganda’s tourism industry.
In a sharp contrast with the United Republic of Tanzania, Kabuleta says, the neighbouring “country earns 300m$ a per year from mount Kilimanjaro airport” yet Uganda which is endowed with better mountain Rwenzori in Kasese where a tourist airport could have been developed is still in a deep slumber 60 decades after independence.
Business Opportunities Availed By Kilimanjaro Airport to Tanzania
Kilimanjaro International Airport is the main gateway for tourism in Tanzania. The airport is owned by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, and operated by Kilimanjaro Airports Development Company (KADCO). The company mandated to manage and operate Kilimanjaro International Airport with a mission to manage Kilimanjaro Intl Airport by developing modern infrastructure, facilities and providing outstanding airport services to aviation stakeholders for social economic development.
Kilimanjaro International Airport has earned the tag of being “The gateway to Africa’s wildlife heritage” because it brings tourists from all over the world to visit the natural attractions of the northern circuit. The airport is home to both domestic and international airlines. It connects the Northern circuit with Europe, the Middle East, the United States, the Far East and a large part of Africa.
When it comes to the business opportunities, investors are drawn to the airport by opportunities it offers around its edge. The 110 square kilometers, airport is a home to airiness, logistics companies and hotels.
Many international visitors also go to national parks in Tanzania, to the Indian Ocean coast, to islands such as Zanzibar, and to Lake Victoria, reflected in the routes of connecting flights. Despite its small size, the airport can handle aircraft as large as Boeing 747s and Antonov 124s. The airport served 665,147 passengers in 2012, a 3.7 percent increase over 2011. The airport served 802,731 passengers in 2014, of whom 45 percent were international, 38 percent domestic, and 17 percent transit.
On 19 February 2014, the governments of Tanzania and the Netherlands signed a grant arrangement to rehabilitate the airport, including its aprons, taxiways, and terminal building. The total cost of the project is expected to be €35.5 million, with €15.0 million funded by the Netherlands and the remainder by Tanzania. The already completed design phase was financed entirely by the Dutch government.[5] In November 2015, renovations began at the airport, aimed at doubling its capacity from the current 600,000 passengers to 1.2 million annually. The renovation work is being done by BAM International, at a cost of US$39.7 million. Renovations were expected to last until May 2017. BAM International is a subsidiary of the Royal BAM Group in the Netherlands.