The building of an Msalato airport in Tanzania’s capital city, Dodoma, has begun after President Samia Suluhu Hassan laid the foundation stone for the construction of the $272 million facility.
The laying of the foundation stone for Msalato Airport comes almost two years after the government announced plans to build the facility, and almost three years after government offices relocated to Dodoma from Dar es Salaam.
Construction of the Msalato airport, which is funded by a $272 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB), will include the building of a runway, main passenger aircraft parking apron, control tower, passengers’ terminal and office buildings, car parking lots, shops, supermarkets, and banking facilities.
Ancillary facilities include fuel depots, airport catering, general aviation facilities and electrical, mechanical services, including transformer and generator rooms, a mechanical ventilation plant, refuse disposal units and pump rooms.
The funding package comprises a $198.6 million loan from the AfDB, $23.52 million from the African Development Fund, and $50 million in co-financing from China’s Africa Growing Together Fund, which the AfDB manages.
Located some 12 kilometres from the Dodoma central business district off the Dodoma-Arusha highway, the airport is scheduled to be completed in December 2024.
The capacity of the airport for Phase 1 is estimated at 1,750,000 passengers per annum.
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