Tanzania 'gets boost to build international airport'

21 October 2009

A $350 million (£210.6 million) project to build an international airport in Mugumu town in the Serengeti area is back on track after a funding injection from financiers.

Construction of the hub has been stalled for the past two years due to lack of funds, district chairman John Ng'oina reportedly told newspaper the East African.

Now, Geneva-based financial institution Sipio-BV is facilitating the project and funding 80 per cent of it, while the Grumeti Game Reserve has agreed to front the remaining 20 per cent.

The move is expected to boost tourism, as visitors will be able to arrive directly into the Serengeti National Park instead of landing at the Kilimanjaro International Airport.

A recent restructuration of the Tanzanian government's ministry of infrastructure development saw the inclusion of a transport division, which is in charge of overseeing all tiers of roads, railways, airports and aerodromes.

Category: Transport