Source: China Central Radio and Television International Online
Editor: Yang Lei
Zimbabwe Mugabe International Airport
International Online Report (Reporter Liu Yun, Li Haixia, Wei Yuchen, Li Peng): The reconstruction and expansion project of Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, is one of the key projects of the Belt and Road Initiative jointly built by China and Zimbabwe. In July this year, the airport's new terminal was officially opened, which not only contributes to the local economic development, but also becomes another milestone in the friendly cooperation between China and Zimbabwe.
Located in the capital Harare, the Mugabe International Airport is Zimbabwe's most important gateway airport and busiest port of entry, and it's hard not to be drawn in by the contrast between the old and new terminals. While the old terminal is old and dimly lit, the new terminal is bright and comfortable with its arched steel frame and large glass grid structure, which is now the most popular one today. Passengers are full of praise for the new terminal.
Chinese traveler being interviewed
"When I came here, I felt oh my God, I couldn't believe what I saw, the new terminal of this airport is so spacious and so beautiful. I think he is the most modern airport in Africa. Check-in, security, everything was very fast and efficient, and overall, everything was very good. “
"This airport makes me feel very modern, in the old airport it was very dark, and when I walked into the new airport, the light was very bright and it gave people a strong sense of modernity. ”
Zimbabwean traveller interviewed
The reconstruction and expansion of Mugabe International Airport is one of the three important national-level projects signed with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa during his visit to China in July 2018. The project includes the expansion of the new international terminal building of 35,000 square meters and the apron of more than 40,000 square meters, as well as the comprehensive upgrade of the airport's existing runway, communications, navigation, navigational aids, aviation displays, air traffic control systems, etc. At present, except for the renovation of the old terminal building, which has not yet been completed, the rest have been delivered and put into use.
Wei Wei, deputy general manager of Zhongjiang International Group's Overseas Engineering No. 1 Branch and manager of Zimbabwe, the contractor of the project, said that because the airport needs to be opened and operated normally during the construction period, the non-stop flight construction has become the "hard bone" of the reconstruction and expansion project. "Every night they can only give us about 5 hours to 7 hours of time, that is, every night the runway is closed, and then the last flight take-off and landing is completed, we have about 100 pieces of machinery and equipment into the field, from this runway each process, first to wash the explosion, to clean, to sprinkle oil, and then wait for the oil to have stickiness before starting to pave, and then clean up, and then withdraw, and then to meet the next day's aircraft take-off and landing. It should be said that it is still very difficult to complete this work in such a short period of time, especially in Africa. ”
Wei Wei, deputy general manager of Zhongjiang International Group Overseas Engineering Branch No. 1 and manager of Zimbabwe company, was interviewed
Wei Wei told reporters that in order to ensure the smooth implementation of the project, the company has invested nearly 200 Chinese personnel and nearly 1,000 Tianjin personnel during the construction period. While providing local jobs, it also introduces China's advanced construction technology and technology to Zimbabwe. Many local workers are now able to work independently after training and practice.
The 28-year-old Taku has been interested in architectural design since childhood, studied at Ningbo University in China, returned to Zimbabwe after graduation, and is now a civil engineer in architecture at Zhongjiang International. He said that his rapid growth is due to the development platform provided by Chinese enterprises. "I was fortunate enough to join the company after graduation and was able to participate in such a large national construction project as the reconstruction and expansion of the airport. I had never worked on a construction site before. After coming here, I got a lot of professional help. I began to know how to work in the field and how to communicate with all parties. Working here has allowed me to train myself well and grow a lot. ”
Taku, an employee of Zhongjiang International Group, was interviewed
With the close cooperation of Chinese and Zimbabwe personnel, the new terminal of the airport was officially put into use in July this year, and the airport's passenger reception capacity has increased from more than 1 million passengers per year to 6 million passengers per year. According to Tawanda Gusha, CEO of Zimbabwe Airports, the airport reconstruction and expansion project is a good support for the country's economic development. "This project has created a lot of jobs. A lot of people work here and learn skills that will help them in the future. From the airport's point of view, the expansion project has greatly increased our transport capacity, and we expect more and more airlines to come here in the future. ”
Gusha said that he expects Zimbabwe to continue to actively participate in the construction of the "Belt and Road" in the future, and further deepen cooperation with China. "The airport reconstruction and expansion project is an important part of Zimbabwe's implementation of China's Belt and Road Initiative. It is expected that in the future, under this initiative, the cooperation between Zimbabwe and China will be extended to more areas of infrastructure construction. There is no doubt that Zimbabwe will benefit from this, and we are happy to be a part of it. ”
Tawanda Gusha, CEO of Zimbabwe Airports Corporation