BUJUMBURA, August 30th (ABP) – The President of the Republic of Burundi, Mr Evariste Ndayishimiye, officially launched the first phase of the project to rehabilitate, extend and modernise the Melchior Ndadaye international airport on Tuesday 27 August 2024, according to local sources.
The project will be carried out by a Chinese company called Shanghai Baoye, and the Head of State noted that it represented a major step forward in the development of air transport infrastructure. This project fits in well with Burundi’s vision of becoming an emerging country by 2040 and a developed country by 2060, in its objective 5, which aims to improve logistics infrastructure and accessibility in all areas in order to move the country towards the structural transformation of a sustainable economy,” he added.
It is with this objective in mind that the government of Burundi is working to modernise port and airport infrastructures and develop a railway line that will connect Burundi to Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), so that Burundi can become a transit and destination point for trade in goods and services in the sub-region, he emphasized.
The President of the Republic of Burundi took the opportunity to thank the government of the Republic of China for its unfailing support in its vast economic and social development project, especially in terms of developing infrastructures such as transport, energy, digital technology, agri-food processing and many others.
According to President Ndayishimiye, the government of the Republic of Burundi remains committed to seeking funds for the second phase of the airport’s modernization and extension project, which includes the construction and equipping of a new, modern passenger terminal, the construction of a rapid runway exit, as well as a taxiway parallel to the runway and parking facilities for aircraft and vehicles.
The Head of State also pointed out that in addition to this Melchior Ndadaye airport, the Burundi government has already initiated economic feasibility studies for the creation of a new international airport in Bugendana commune, Gitega province. He invited any investors wishing to take part in this vast project to provide Burundi with airport infrastructure that meets the safety and security standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
On this occasion, the President of the Republic of Burundi emphasised that the airport is not only a gateway for visitors, investors and stakeholders, but is also an engine for economic development, offering comparative advantages in terms of trade, goods and services, and thus enhancing the movement of people, especially tourists.
The ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Burundi, Zhao Jiangping, for her part, declared that this project will make air travel easier in the future, and consequently increase the number of tourists and businessmen considerably According to the agreement between the government of Burundi and that of China, she announced, the Chinese side is committed to carrying out the project to rehabilitate, extend and modernise Bujumbura’s Melchior Ndadaye international airport in the form of a donation, which constitutes a new flagship project in the history of Sino-Burundian cooperation.