WINDHOEK, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's flagship airport, Hosea Kutako International Airport, will be expanded to cope with growing traffic, an airport official said on Tuesday.
The airport's check-in hall, security screening point, arrivals hall, and the luggage handling areas will be expanded, said Albertus Aochamub, acting chief executive officer of Namibia Airports Company (NAC).
"Our immediate preoccupation is to resolve the congestion and resultant compliance issues in the short term," he told a media briefing. "These are all temporary improvements at most useful for the next five years."
According to Aochamub, in line with the Namibia Procurement Act, the contract will be awarded in June 2018 and then work will start and continue for eight months at an estimated cost thus far of 19 million U.S. dollars.
The NAC has engaged in determining funding options for the new airport terminal and related investments to be considered, he said.
"The options include, but not limited to, a Private Public Partnership, Treasury funding, raising money in local currency from local sources against the NAC balance sheet," Aochamub added.
He said traffic volumes at the airport are estimated to double in another 10 to 15 years, making it necessary to build a new airport terminal and to improve the runway, taxiway and the apron.
The current terminal building was constructed in 1985 to handle 250,000 passengers a year, but it is now handling nearly a million passengers a year.
