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NATIONAL AIRPORTS CORPORATION HANDBOOK 2014-15
natIOnal aIrPOrts cOrPOratIOn hanDBOOK 2014-15
cOntents
NATIONAL AIRPORTS CORPORATION LTD Kenneth Kaunda International Airport PO Box 30175, Lusaka, Zambia
on tHe runWay to success
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Prince Chintimbwe Director Airport Services Tel: +260 211 271 292 Fax: +260 211 271 292 Cell: +260 977 795 227 Email: prince.chintimbwe@lun.aero
neW carriers boost nacl passenger tHrougHput
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unWto boost for tourisM air Hub
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neW infrastructure fee to pay for redevelopMent
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2,000 Ha earMarKed for neW ndola airport
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nacl bacKs plans to revive national carrier
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cHinese firM to build lusaKa’s neW international airport
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neW ground Handling eQuipMent
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nacl cHases big league carriers froM abroad
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nacl invests in Modern air traffic ManageMent systeMs
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vHf coMMunication
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airport locations
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Frank Chinambu Director Air Navigation Services Tel: +260 211 271 118 Cell: +260 966 726 893 Fax: +260 211 271 118 Email: frank.chinambu@lun.aero Agness Chaila Planning and Business Development Manager Tel: +260 211 27 144; 271 313 Direct: +260 211 271 007 Fax: +260 211 271 007 Cell: +260 977 799 778 Email: agness.chaila@lun.aero www.nacl.co.zm This National Airports Corporation Handbook is published by:
land&MARINE Land & Marine Publications Ltd 1 Kings Court, Newcomen Way, Severalls Business Park Colchester CO4 9RA, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1206 752902 Fax: +44 (0)1206 842958 E-mail: publishing@landmarine.com www.landmarine.com Pictures supplied by: Geoffrey Chipolyonga and Monde Wood Printed by: Buxton Press The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor nor of any other organisation associated with this publication. No liability can be accepted for any inaccuracies or omissions ISSN 2046-9667 © 2013 Land & Marine Publications Ltd
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On the runway tO success
The year 2013 marks the second year of our company’s Five-Year 2012-2017 Strategic Plan and I am delighted to note that we have already begun to record great progress in all the key areas. The new terminal at our Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport (HMNIA) in Livingstone is set for completion by July, just in time to welcome the hundreds of delegates expected in the city for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) 2013 Conference to be co-hosted by Zambia and Zimbabwe.
advanced
BelOw: High-quality service
Plans for the expansion of Kenneth Kaunda International Airport ((KKIA) in Lusaka and a brand-new airport in Ndola at a new location have reached an advanced stage, with most of the approvals now obtained for works to begin on both projects.
We are hoping for similar progress on Mfuwe, where an upgrade of the airport is on the cards. Also, as a result of the increased number of international carriers coming into Zambia on a daily basis over the past year, there is great optimism within NACL that 2013 will see an even higher number of passengers than the record 1.3 million who passed through our four airports last year. The focus of our strategic plan is to upgrade and expand our four airports and navigational services to internationally acknowledged standards and practices. Under this plan, NACL has identifi ed fi ve critical elements that we believe will help us to achieve our vision and to meet the ever-changing needs of all our stakeholders: 1. To provide high-quality airport services to satisfy the expectations of major stakeholders; the travelling public, staff and the agencies that support our operations. 2. To provide safe, effi cient, reliable and expeditious air navigational services to airlines and aircraft fl ying into and out of Zambia or overfl ying our airspace. 3. To provide the appropriate infrastructure to support the delivery of quality services. 4. To produce sound fi nancial returns that help promote NACL as a commercially viable entity. This is of great importance as the government,
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RIGHT: Robinson Misitala
the major shareholder in the company, expects good returns on its continued heavy investment in NACL. 5. To contribute positively to sustainable national economic and social development.
recognition As you can tell, the major challenges relate to inadequate and, in some cases, antiquated infrastructure and the massive resources that we need to upgrade and expand all our four airports in Lusaka, Ndola, Livingstone and Mfuwe to cater for a demanding and fast-growing travelling public. In our efforts to achieve the objectives set out in the Strategic Plan, we are focusing on four key issues: a) Improvement of income generation streams b) Modernisation of infrastructure and equipment c) Rebranding of the company d) Enhancement of operational efficiency. In these plans, I believe the key word must be ‘quality’. It is the quality of our infrastructure, equipment and services that will earn NACL the global recognition we seek and bring in the business that we need to be able to continue to contribute to the social and economic progress of our country and the local communities in which we operate.
In this regard, I am delighted to announce that NACL has gained ISO 9001:2008 certification for the quality of its management systems. Only two or three other Zambian companies have it, so we are immensely proud of this development. The ISO 9001:2008 certification is an encouraging demonstration of the commitment of our employees to play their part in ensuring that the company is well positioned to achieve all the objectives set out in its Strategic Plan. These are exciting times at NACL and we look forward to the ‘long-haul flight’ we have embarked on to transform our airports and navigational services into some of the best on the continent and a memorable experience for our valued travellers who are the reason for our existence.
Robinson Misitala Managing Director National Airports Corporation Ltd
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new carrIers BOOst nacl PassenGer thrOuGhPut National Airports Corporation Ltd has been toasting the all-time high number of passengers handled by its four airports, with a combined throughput last year of 1.3 million. The majority of these – about 997,000 passengers – were handled by Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka.
rIGht: Aircraft at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport
The balance was shared between Livingstone, Ndola and Mfuwe. The 2012 total of domestic and international passengers was almost 300,000 more than the number registered in 2010 and an encouraging development for a corporation determined to make Zambia an international hub for passengers and cargo destined for or transiting southern Africa.
encouraging “It’s very encouraging, the fi gures we recorded last year – the highest ever in passengers passing through our four terminals,” said NACL managing director Robinson Misitala. “It shows that if we continue to do the right things, we can do even better this year and in years to come.” A major contributor to the increase in passenger numbers handled by NACL airports has been the entry of new foreign carriers fl ying into Zambia and offering promotional packages. They include Emirates, which began with a frequency of fi ve flights per week but scaled this up to oncedaily after just a few months in response to demand.
The Dutch airline KLM has been operating three direct fl ights a week between Lusaka and Amsterdam since it began fl ying into Lusaka last year. Another new arrival, Precision Air, fl ies four times a week between Lusaka and Dar es Salaam, while South African Express has introduced a thrice-aweek direct fl ight between Lusaka and Durban to serve a growing number of Zambians doing business in the South African port city. Air Botswana, meanwhile, has increased the number of direct fl ights between Gaborone and Lusaka to four from three as demand has risen. Kenya Airways and Ethiopia Airways are also fl ying more and larger aircraft into Zambia, with the former introducing direct fl ights from Nairobi to Zambia’s tourist capital, Livingstone, from June. Livingstone – proud home of the Victoria Falls, regarded as one of the seven natural wonders of
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CONSOLIDATED Passenger GROWTH between 2007 and 2012 General passengers Domestic International Total
2007 182,372 866,404 1,048,776
GENERAL PASSENGERS
2008 258,549 922,362 1,180,911
2009 167,661 745,202 912,863
DOMESTIC
2010 191,451 894,796 1,086,247
2011 224,810 1,004,061 1,228,871
INTERNATIONAL
2012 247,562 1,114,551 1,362,113
TOTAL
1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
the world – has also recorded an increase in intercontinental charters, notably from Mexico, the USA and Europe.
are in a great position to handle a sizeable chunk of the delegates, especially with the latest developments at our Livingstone airport.”
“It’s a trend that we hope to see continuing as we upgrade and expand our infrastructure and equipment to handle more and bigger planes,” said Mr Misitala. “Zambia sits between Kenya and South Africa, two countries that attract a lot of air traffic, so we have a definite geographical advantage and many other attractions of our own; a growing economy, a stable political climate, good weather all year round and fantastic tourist attractions. We must take advantage of these positives to become the hub of air traffic in southern Africa in terms of cargo and passengers.”
He described the conference as a wonderful opportunity for Zambia to market itself to a global audience whose attention would be fastened on the country for the duration of the summit.
delegates With over 1,000 delegates in attendance at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s summit in Livingstone, it is almost given that the number of passengers handled at NACL airports this year will outstrip the 2012 figure by some distance. “We certainly hope to see a new record this year,” said Mr Misitala. “Although the UNWTO conference is being co-hosted by Zambia and Zimbabwe, we
opportunity “We are grateful to the government for all the financial and moral support that it is offering to NACL and the entire tourism sector in Zambia to ensure that the conference is a success,” said Mr Misitala. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for all the players in our tourism to showcase what we have to offer the international traveller.” Mr Misitala said he would like to see conferencing develop into a major source of income for the hospitality industry in Zambia. “With the fantastic conference facilities we now have in Lusaka and Livingstone, we really should be bidding to host more such events as the UNWTO summit,” he said. “It would provide business for us, our local transporters and our hotels and lodges as well as the entertainment industry.”
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unwtO BOOst FOr tOurIsM aIr huB With more than a little nudge from the government, National Airports Corporation Ltd has been able to upgrade and expand Livingstone’s Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport (HMNIA) at an accelerated pace to ensure it has a brand-new terminal ahead of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation conference opening in August.
resources
BelOw: Work underway on the new terminal at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport
Plans to modernise the airport were already in place before Livingstone was awarded the right to co-host the UNWTO event with its Zimbabwean sister town of Victoria Falls, just across the river, but the conference has proved a great boon to NACL. While the company was digesting the significance of being asked to host the event on its limited
facilities, the government, determined to put on a good show for international visitors, decided to give its full support to NACL management by helping to mobilise financial resources and experienced manpower to oversee the US$30 million project. The Minister of Tourism, Sylvia Masebo, was a regular visitor to Livingstone in the last several months of preparations for the conference, keeping a constant eye on how the airport works were progressing. The Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications, Yamfwa Mukanga and the NACL Board led by Mubanga Musakanya were also on hand to provide leadership towards the completion of the new terminal building. Robinson Misitala, managing director of NACL, said: “We were already working on the airport to modernise it and increase its capacity to handle more fl ights, passengers and bigger planes than before to take advantage of the tourist attractions in that city; but we would never have been able to complete the works so soon if it wasn’t for the government coming in to ensure this was done to support the hosting of the UNWTO conference.”
concourse The project includes a new departures terminal complex that embraces a new concourse, a restaurant and a viewing balcony on its mezzanine fl oor, overlooking the apron. It also provides space for over 45 shops on both levels.
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RIGHT: Major tourism attractions include the magnificent Victoria Falls
Underlining its ‘green’ credentials, the terminal has a translucent roof for natural daytime lighting. Its check-in area is bigger than that at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, while the arrivals hall has two lavish VIP lounges and three carousels to handle the expected increase in baggage throughput. With the new facility, HMNIA will be able to handle over 1 million passengers a year – five times its previous capacity. A loan of US$12 million from the Zambia National Commercial Bank helped NACL to procure specialised ground-handling equipment for baggage, check-in, access control, flight information displays, lifts and escalators as well as an entertainment and public address system, CCTV and a standby power generator.
Below: The existing departure terminal will handle only domestic traffic
The airport has acquired two modern foam fire tenders and an additional ambulance. There are plans, too, for a new radar system to be installed before the end of 2013.
“Once everything is in place, Livingstone will have the most modern airport in Zambia,” said Mr Misitala. “You almost wish you could move it to Lusaka while we get on with the heavier work of modernising the KKIA.” NACL’s director airport services, Prince Chintimbwe, said one of the most exciting developments at the HMNIA was its capacity to handle larger aircraft as this would now attract direct long-haul flights to the city. “Our vision is to attract as many of the big continental carriers as we can handle into Lusaka, Ndola and Livingstone,” said Mr Chintimbwe. “So the expanded capacity at HMNIA should serve that end very well.”
potential Mr Chintimbwe said the old terminal at the HMNIA would be converted to handle only domestic flights. Tourism has come to be viewed as a major driver of the Zambian economy, in third place after mining and agriculture, with the potential to create millions of jobs and contribute to the national treasury and Livingstone. Surrounded by tourist attractions such as the Victoria Falls, the River Zambezi and a range of wildlife and served by a growing number of internationally renowned hotel chains such as the Sun, Protea and the Courtyard, the tourism capital is now better placed than ever to play its part in the economic success of Zambia.
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new InFrastructure Fee tO Pay FOr reDeVelOPMent National Airports Corporation Limited has implemented an Infrastructure and Development fee. The fee was introduced in June 2013 and also applies to private charters. The fees are US$5 (ZMW 27) for domestic travellers and US$10 (ZMW 54) for international passengers. The new fee is to be paid together with departure fees. NACL also charges a security fee, introduced a few years ago, on all passenger tickets.
BelOw: Tourists depart from Mfuwe International Airport
NACL sees the Infrastructure and Development fee as one way of getting a major stakeholder – the traveller – to contribute to its ambitious, multipronged, mega-million-dollar programme to redevelop its four international airports in Mfuwe, Lusaka, Livingstone and Ndola.
The bulk of the fi nancing for the projects is coming from concessional loans arranged with government support, such as the US$360 million earmarked for upgrading Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka and the US$520 million to be spent on a brand-new airport in Ndola.
support “The amounts involved in these projects are massive,” said NACL Managing Director Robinson Misitala. “The NACL would never be able to carry out these projects without the support of the government, most of which is by way of long-term concessional loans.” With passenger numbers rising every year, the introduction of new service fees – together with a revision of some of the statutory navigational fees charged on local and international operators using its facilities and services – is seen as an important avenue for raising money to sustain operations and fi nance new developments. The Director of Airport Services, Prince Chintimbwe, said: “Landing and parking fees as well as overfl ight fees have remained the same since 1994 and, given the rate of infl ation that we have seen in Zambia over the period, there is an obvious need to revisit these charges and we are engaged in discussions with the government on how to go about this process. These are things you cannot do without government approval.” Depressed navigational fees are a common problem across Africa for airport authorities, with
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many governments careful not to discourage new operators or put off existing ones by being seen as too demanding. “We are not alone this situation,” said Mr Chintimbwe. “A lot of other countries in Africa have not increased their navigational fees for a very long time. It can be a sensitive issue. Airlines are usually not very keen on paying more than they feel they should for any service and we don’t want to be seen to be overmilking the cow that feeds us; but we have maintained the same fees for 19 years now and we are confident that, as our valued partners, they will understand where we are coming from when we revisit these fees.”
dedicated The security aviation charge is designed to ensure that the airport authority, which has a fine record in security and safety, continues to invest in the best systems to ensure the safety of its assets, passengers, staff and members of the public at all its airports. “We have a great team of dedicated professionals dealing with safety, security and environmental issues and a record we are very proud of,” said Mr Chintimbwe. “We need to continue to invest in those areas because we understand that, if we fail in there, nobody will come to our airports.” As the redevelopment programme gathers pace, NACL is determined to make the most of its facilities and equipment to ease some of the financial pressure on the government, its major shareholder.
The company has basically two streams of income: the aeronautical division, responsible for all ground-handling operations; and the non-aeronautical division, which draws its income from selling advertising space and renting out car parks, offices, bars, restaurants and space for telecommunications towers around its four international airports.
ABOVE: Passengers check in at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport
“In Lusaka alone, we are sitting on 2,000 hectares of prime land,” said Mr Chintimbwe. “We have to find innovative ways of how we can make profitable use of all that vast estate to help us raise the financial resources that will enable us to continue to develop our facilities and services to global standards without always having to look outside for help.”
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new nDOla aIrPOrt set FOr DeVelOPMent Ndola’s international airport is to move to a new site just outside town. The government has made available 2,000 ha of the state-owned Chichele timber plantation, located between four of the Copperbelt’s major towns, for the new version of Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport.
BelOw: Expansion plans for Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport
The tender for what National Airports Corporation Ltd (NACL) is calling an ‘airport city’ to be located between Ndola, Mufulira, Kitwe and Luanshya – all major copper-producing towns – has been awarded to a Chinese contractor, Avic International Holding Corporation.
The current airport, which began as a British Army base in 1938, is located between an industrial neighbourhood and a number of townships. It is now deemed too small to accommodate the anticipated growth in both cargo and passengers. NACL managing director Robinson Misitala says the present location does not accord with the company’s vision for the airport. The general infrastructure is decaying and the 2.5 km concrete runway is cracking. Also, as it sits right in the middle of a highly populated area, it is prone to vandalism as well as encroachment by people looking for land to build on.
runWay “Even if you wanted to upgrade the facility, which we have considered in the past, you simply wouldn’t have enough space,” said Mr Misitala. “There is nowhere to extend the runway to the appropriate length for the airport to be able to handle bigger planes, like the 767, quite apart from the fact that the only way to fi x the cracks in it is to dig it all up and lay a new one – a very expensive venture.” He says Kenya Airways, which is expanding its footprint on the Zambian scene year on year, has been seeking to introduce a larger-capacity aircraft into Ndola but has been constrained by the limitations of the airport, especially the short runway. “Kenya Airways, for instance, is doing good business in Zambia and has been looking into the possibility of introducing a bigger craft into Ndola to
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handle the growing volume of business,” said Mr Misitala. “But we’ve told them that is not possible with the limited capacity of the airport.”
RIGHT: The planned communications tower and office block at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport
The new location answers all the challenges. Apart from being accessible from all directions, the size of the allocated space offers NACL an opportunity to build an ultra-modern facility that offers travellers all the conveniences they have come to expect from modern airports.
NEW AMENITIES It will accommodate a conference hall, restaurants, a shopping mall and a new residential area for staff, and will be connected to the four surrounding towns by a ring road. It will also be just a few minutes’ drive from Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, where the Zambia national soccer team plays its home international games.
Director Airport Services Prince Chintimbwe says the new location will leave NACL strategically positioned to exploit the vast business potential in the mining province and beyond, to the emerging market in North-Western Province. “Mining companies move a lot of heavy cargo by road, especially from South Africa and Tanzania, and this takes time,” he said. “With the pavement and landing specifications designed for the new airport, we should be able to help them move some of their cargo much faster using our facilities.”
railway With work now under way to rehabilitate both the railway line and the road linking Kitwe and Chingola, the airport will also be well positioned to handle cargo en route to and from the newly opened Chambishi Multi Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ) as well as to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “All the facilities at the new airport in Ndola have been designed to exploit the vast potential in the passenger and cargo markets on the Copperbelt and beyond,” said Mr Chintimbwe. “For instance, instead of trucking their cargo from the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to the Copperbelt and beyond, mining companies will have the option of flying it into Ndola and then picking it up from there by road, saving themselves a lot of time.”
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nacl BacKs Plans tO reVIVe natIOnal carrIer National Airports Corporation Ltd (NACL) is looking forward to a government decision that will lead to the rebirth of a national flag carrier for Zambia to take advantage of the growing potential for business. Such a decision would be about more than just national pride, says NACL managing director Robinson Misitala: “We believe it would have a tremendous impact on the industry and, more signifi cantly, on our national economy.”
flag carrier
BelOw: Zambezi Airlines
For the past two years the government has been involved in discussions with potential investors from the private sector about the possibility of reintroducing a national airline. Zambia has been without a fl ag carrier since 1994 when Zambia
Airways was liquidated in a series of economic reforms that marked the change-over from Kenneth Kaunda’s socialist one-party rule to multi-party democracy. Mr Misitala says NACL has consulted on the issue and has been taking part in ongoing discussions to bring back a national carrier and he is excited about the possibility. For one thing, he believes it would lead to an increase in domestic travellers passing through NACL airports. “It is an idea that we support very much,” he said. “We believe a national carrier would be a great boost for domestic travellers. The immediate impact would be a reduction in fares arising from the new competition this would create. This, in turn, would see more people opting to fl y and using NACL’s other facilities.” The fi gures bear him out. In the days before Zambia Airways was grounded, the numbers of domestic and international travellers were almost even. “If you look at the fi gures before 1994, when Zambia Airways was liquidated, local travellers accounted for 50 per cent of the fi gures we handled in our foyers,” said Mr Misitala. Since then, however, the numbers of international travellers passing through Ndola, Livingstone, Lusaka and Mfuwe have risen to account for 90 per cent of the annual totals. The high cost of air fares on domestic routes, competition from a vibrant public transport system and the demise of many of the parastatal companies whose employees used Zambian Airways on domestic travels
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ABOVE: are the major factors in the slump in domestic air passengers. Mr Misitala says Zambia’s domestic air fares are now among the highest in Africa: “A traveller between Livingstone and Lusaka who thinks about flying has to consider the differential in fares, paying US$450 on a return ticket to fly or US$50 to take the bus, and many of these are now quite comfortable buses we are talking about. There is no prize for guessing what his choice will be.”
bus travellers On the other hand, there are many bus travellers who would be happy to pay a bit more for the convenience of flying and reducing the risks and discomfort associated with a long bus journey, especially as many long-distance operators choose to travel at night. “For the right fares, we would see more Zambians flying on domestic trips,” said Mr Misitala. “I think
many would prefer to fly if they could afford it. It’s the way it is in a number of African countries such as South Africa, Nigeria and others in West Africa where figures of domestic air passengers outstrip those of international travellers.”
Proflight is expanding and investing in larger aircraft
For NACL, a home-based carrier would also provide much-needed income in terms of parking charges. As parking fees apply only after an aircraft has been on the ground for at least three hours, the company makes little money from foreign carriers that stop over just long enough to drop off and pick up passengers and cargo. “A national airline would have to be based right here in Lusaka and have its aircraft parked here when they are not flying. That would earn us some money,” said Mr Misitala. While NACL has seen a leap in the number of international flights coming into Zambia, many of them using larger-capacity aircraft, Mr Misitala laments the small number of operators on the domestic front.
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RIGHT: Kenya's national airline, Kenya Airways
After the demise of Zambian Airways and Zambezi Airlines, which suspended operations recently, Proflight is now the sole regular operator on the domestic front, its only competition coming from small private charters flying small planes. “They [Proflight] are doing a great job and it is nice to see them expanding and investing in bigger planes,” said Mr Misitala. “But the ideal situation is to have more operators on the local scene to create competition and offer the traveller more options.”
challenges He says that while the private domestic transporter must overcome various challenges, such as the cost factor, it is still possible for an investor to take advantage of the huge potential available, especially on regional routes.
Mr Misitala gives the example of a package once offered by the now-defunct Zambian Airways for business people, a same-day return trip to South Africa for a little over US$100 per head. “That was a very popular flight, always fully booked,” said Mr Misitala. “When the airline was grounded, those regular passengers disappeared, too. Many of those are probably taking the bus into Jo’burg and Durban now, but they are still there and can be won back with the right offer by another airline.” It was not just the airline that lost; NACL lost too. “These were passengers that were also giving us business, paying our taxes and for the use of our other facilities such as the car park as they would leave their vehicles at the airport.”
With trade booming between member states of COMESA (the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa), the number of businessmen crossing borders has been on the increase and it is the foreign operators who are benefiting from the ‘third point’ arrangement that allows them to pick up passengers from one country and drop them off in another.
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lusaKa: chInese FIrM tO BuIlD new InternatIOnal aIrPOrt The multi-million-dollar project to expand and upgrade Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) has been awarded. A contract between the Zambian government and China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Co-operation (CJIC) was signed on 7 June 2013 at the Fourth International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum in Macau.
BelOw: Artist's impression of the new terminal building
As a leading state-owned, export-oriented construction company, CJIC is involved in many building projects in Zambia and in other African countries. The director of airport services, Prince Chintimbwe, says he expected work to begin before the end of 2013 on a US$360 million project to transform KKIA into one of the most modern and efficient on the Continent.
Artist’s impressions show that the new facility has a futuristic design. With additional land area obtained from a nearby commercial farm, the newlook KKIA will also cover a much larger area, with a stand-alone cargo handling facility for the projected growth in air cargo business.
capacity The redevelopment of KKIA is based on a master plan drawn up by the aviation consultancy group Leigh Fischer Associates. The study was funded by the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). Two of the main features of the refurbished airport will be a new passenger terminal with an annual capacity of 4 million passengers (twice the present capacity) and a commercial complex with conference facilities, a shopping mall and two hotels – a 30-room hotel for transit passengers and an 80-room hotel open to the general public. NACL managing director Robinson Misitala said: “As we have more and more airlines coming into Lusaka and more people using our facilities to travel to all parts of the world, you will have transiting passengers who may not have visas allowing them to leave the airport premises, and they can rest or spend a night at the transit hotel.” Also on the cards are a new state-of-the-art control tower, a modern fuel farm that will allow aircraft to refuel from hydrants rather than bowsers, a new fi re and rescue station and an expanded car park.
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ABOVE: Impression of the proposed terminal facility
Mr Misitala said overhauling KKIA was an important part of the company’s five-year strategic plan to modernise all four airports managed by NACL and position the country for the expected growth in both passenger travel and cargo business.
STRATEGIC PLAN “One of the five critical elements in our strategic plan for 2012-2017 is to contribute positively to national social and economic development,” he said. “To be able to do that, we have to continue to invest in infrastructure and equipment to be able to attract business in a very competitive environment.” When the project is completed, Mr Misitala says KKIA will bear comparison with the best airports in Africa, both in infrastructure as well as in service delivery.
“You know that for people flying in and out of your country, the first and last image they carry with them will be that of your airport,” he said. “We want to give them something positive and memorable when they fly in and out of Lusaka or any of our three other international airports.” Mr Misitala paid tribute to the government for its unstinting support for NACL strategic plan and for helping to mobilise the financial support to realise the vision. “With all the support that we are getting from government and the investment that it is putting into these projects, our business is to make NACL a commercially viable entity,” he said. “At the end of the day, government must be happy with the returns on its investment.”
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new GrOunD hanDlInG eQuIPMent As the volume of business grows, National Airports Corporation Ltd is continuing to invest heavily in ground handling equipment and in training staff to handle the new apparatus. The company has recently spent millions of dollars on the procurement of a whole range of modern ground handling equipment for its Lusaka, Ndola and Livingstone airports. They include push-backs, AMB lifts (to aid passengers with reduced mobility) and passenger steps.
fire tenders
BelOw: New ground handling equipment in use at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport
Sophisticated X-ray security scanners are being installed at KKIA in Lusaka and SMKIA in Ndola. Lusaka has also received high-loaders to handle cargo being transported in larger aircraft as more carriers choose to fly bigger planes into the capital. The company has also invested in eight foam fi re tenders through government support. Three of
these have been stationed in Lusaka, two in Ndola, another two in Livingstone – which is gearing up to co-host the 2013 United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) conference with its ‘sister’ city of Victoria Falls Town on the Zimbabwean side – and one in Mfuwe. Livingstone and Lusaka have also received sophisticated ambulances. NACL managing director Robinson Misitala says that, because of the steady increase in passenger numbers, it has become imperative to invest in modern ground handling equipment to improve effi ciency. For NACL staff in Lusaka and Livingstone, the equipment could not have arrived at a better time as they prepare to welcome some of the thousands of delegates expected for the 2013 UNWTO conference. Mr Misitala said: “We had to make certain investments in order to meet the requirements that were put to us by the organisers of the UNWTO in order to meet certain standards and we believe we are now well equipped to handle the arrivals as well as any emergencies that might arise during the conference, but this investment should serve us well for years to come.”
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nacl chases BIG leaGue carrIers FrOM aBrOaD The recent arrival of two of the world’s biggest airlines, Emirates and the Dutch operator KLM, in Zambian skies has inspired a quest by National Airports Corporation Ltd (NACL) to attract more and more of the big league players onto its runways. “We are very, very aggressive in our plans to grow the business as laid out in our strategic plan for 2012-2017,” said Director of Airport Services, Prince Chintimbwe. “We want to expand on both our local routes and on the international front as well.” He points to the progress made in the past year alone – during which Emirates and KLM have inaugurated fl ights into Zambia while Kenya and Ethiopian Airways have increased their frequencies – but says there is plenty of room for more.
BelOw: Dutch operator KLM now flies to Zambia
“We have done quite well in the last year, and the record figures for passengers arriving in Zambia for
2012 have been very encouraging, but we know we can do even more, much more,” said Mr Chintimbwe. “It’s not easy in such a highly competitive market, but we are working very hard to achieve our goals.” One of the goals is to win a share of the huge tourism market in Asia, the Americas and Europe, and NACL is engaged in discussions on multiple fronts to bring in more international carriers. Encouraging signs have come from the Americas and Europe, with some long-haul private charters fl ying directly to Livingstone and to Mfuwe, in the South Luangwa National Park.
attractions Zambia has much to offer to tourists from all over the world. Its key attractions include a fi rst-rate geographical location, 20 national game parks (including three of the world’s fi nest), the natural wonder of the Victoria Falls, a range of annual events, fi ne weather for most of the year and a stable political and economic environment,
Christopher Parypa / Shutterstock.com
The fact that international arrivals have been increasing year on year is proof that more and more travellers are aware of Zambia’s status as a tourism destination. The challenge for NACL is how to take advantage of this potential. “We’re in a great place in terms of what we can offer the tourist, working with other players in the industry,” said Mr Chintimbwe. “What we need to do is to make sure our facilities as NACL are world-class and to improve our effi ciency in handling passengers.”
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Nadezhda1906 / Shutterstock.com
ABOVE: Mr Chintimbwe wants to see more arrivals from Europe, Asia and the Americas, the latter two being still largely untapped. “We are very actively engaged in efforts to open routes into Asia and the Americas and to grow our share in Europe,” he said. “It would certainly be good to break into the Americas, especially.” That is the reason for all the mega-millions of dollars going into the redevelopment projects at all four NACL-operated airports. This will enable each airport to handle bigger intercontinental operators, including direct flights. But building shiny modern airports and attracting bigger intercontinental carriers may not be enough. An equally important part of the equation is accommodation, especially in Livingstone and Mfuwe. “Once you’ve landed your 767 with its 300 passengers, you have to start thinking about where you are going to accommodate them,” said NACL managing director Robinson Misitala. “In Livingstone and Mfuwe especially, that is a challenge that needs to be addressed by the other players in the industry.”
While redeveloping Lusaka and Livingstone airports appears to be the priority at the moment, Mfuwe has its own special attributes, being located in one of the world’s biggest game parks, and NACL is determined to take full advantage of this.
Emirates is one of the world's biggest airlines
“We often get inquiries from people who want to fly a big planeload of tourists straight into Mfuwe from many parts of the world,” said Mr Chintimbwe. “But we cannot handle that because, as in the case of the airport in Ndola, it has a short runway and would not handle aircraft of a certain size – say, a Boeing 767.”
modern The plan is to extend the runway from 2.5 km to 3 km and to upgrade the terminal to a more modern facility using a design that does not impose on the natural environment. “When tourists fly into Mfuwe from the Americas, Europe or Asia, it’s because they have decided that they are coming to visit a game park,” said Mr Chintimbwe. “They don’t want to see concrete all over the place. The design that we are looking at for the new-look Mfuwe airport is going to have to fit into that environment.”
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nacl InVests In MODern aIr traFFIc ManaGeMent systeMs Over the next few years National Airports Corporation Ltd is to invest US$45 million in a programme to modernise its air traffic management systems. As more and more of the world’s population can afford air travel, and therefore the skies become increasingly congested, air traffi c management becomes a vitally important function of any airport.
As well as ensuring the safe movement of aircraft from one point or another, air traffi c management promotes effi ciency and environmental protection.
fleXible NACL’s air navigation director, Frank Chinambu, said: “Air navigation service providers and regulators around the world are moving towards a
more adaptable and flexible airspace use, and flight operations to improve the flow of traffic and increase capacity, efficiency and air safety. This development requires moving away from legacy obsolete airspace infrastructure which relies on radio-based navigation aids that restrict aircraft to fly over indirect paths over ground-based radio beacons.”
ambitious With government support, NACL has set out an ambitious modernisation programme. This will see Zambia’s air traffic management system upgraded to world-class standards. The modernisation programme, already in progress, covers a number of areas, including aeronautical information services, very high frequency (VHF) communication, navigation systems, automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) and radar surveillance.
Aeronautical information services (AIS) Aeronautical information services are used to receive and transmit aviation information necessary for safe and efficient conduct of flight. National Airports Corporation Ltd is in the process of upgrading from aeronautical information services (AIS) to aeronautical information management (AIM) in a three-phase programme costing about US$3 million. “The first phase of the transition was undertaken when the AIM/Billing System was implemented,” said
NACL’s air navigation director, Frank Chinambu. “The second phase is currently under way through upgrade of the current aeronautical information management system database and replacement of the aeronautical fixed telecommunication network with the aeronautical message handling system (AMHS).” The third phase will involve migration into the full AIM environment with services such as electronic AIP weather information, notice to airmen, charts and other vital information accessible online. Mr Chinambu said the migration to the new flight plan, with a deadline of 15 November 2012, had been successfully made and there had been a smooth transition to the new ICAO flight plan format. “This means that we are now in step with the new international requirements,” he said. Around the world, the growing use of information is leading to a paradigm shift in the way air traffic management (ATM) views the role of aeronautical information More and more, ATM is relying on the use of data communication between aircraft and various ground systems interconnected into a single global network with reduced human intervention. The growing use of interconnected networks has made possible the fast exchange of information around the world. In order to enable integration into the global network, NACL is replacing the aeronautical fixed telecommunication network (AFTN) with the aeronautical message handling system (AMHS). Mr Chinambu believes AIM will help to improve NACL’s aeronautical services in terms of quality, timeliness and exchange of aeronautical information and will lead to a cost-efficient provision of services.
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VhF cOMMunIcatIOn
Voice communication between controller and pilot will continue to be a vital part of air traffic management. Air traffi c voice communication is divided into the lower and upper airspace. Over the past 10 years, upgrades were made to improve the upper airspace communication segment coverage from 20 to 80 per cent of Zambian airspace. However, there are plans to achieve total coverage. NACL is currently upgrading approach control and the associated tower equipment at Kenneth Kaunda and Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International under the RADA project to improve communication in the lower airspace.
rural aerodroMe coMMunications systeM The rural aerodrome system in Zambia covers the provincial headquarters of Chipata, Kasama, Mansa, Mongu, Solwezi and Kasaba Bay.
BelOw: Ground-to-air communication
It provides basic aerodrome control through ground-to-air communication radios and other ancillaries. The current equipment is obsolete and
needs to be replaced to better provide ATM in the whole Zambian airspace. The project to rural airport frequencies and ancillaries – expected to cost just over US$1 million – will result in improved safety and attract more local airlines to serve these provinces.
ads-b and radar surveillance Radar is a basic surveillance tool for the controller to monitor and maintain safe separation between aircraft and to help pilots navigate safely. Kenneth Kaunda International Airport last had a functioning radar in the early 1980s. A new radar facility is being installed at Kenneth Kaunda and Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International at a cost of US$20 million.
autoMatic dependent surveillance (ads-b) The two radars proposed for Lusaka and Livingstone are unable to cover the whole country. Accordingly, the ADS-B will be used to achieve total coverage of Zambian airspace. The ADS-B has a wider coverage and is relatively low-cost technology compared with radar. It allows both air traffic control and aircrew to monitor the status of a fl ight. This project is part of the Southern African Development Conference (SADC) regional initiative involving Zambia, Botswana Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe to implement total surveillance among the states in a collaborative effort. The estimated cost of this project is US$5 million.
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Ground-based navigation aids
Airspace management study
National Airports Corporation Ltd plans to
National Airports Corporation Ltd is to
make a transition from conventional navigation, which relies on ground-based equipment, to performance-based navigation (PBN), whose operations rely primarily on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) procedures.
carry out a fresh airspace study to determine its air traffic management requirements and harmonise these with others in the region.
NACL’s air navigation director, Frank Chinambu, said: “The majority of the fleet operating in Zambia are not suitably equipped to adhere to GNSS procedures, therefore, ground-based navigation aids will be retained and ground-based navigation aids added or changed in selected areas depending on the outcome of the air space study recommendations.” Ground-based navigation aids will coexist with GNSS for a time to serve non-PBN equipped aircraft to ensure safe and reliable flight operations. In this respect, non-directional beacons (NDB) for Chipata, Kapiri and Mongu have been replaced. Those in Mansa and Kasaba Bay are planned for replacement as well. An instrument landing system (ILS) is used to guide an aircraft in the final phase of flight to touch-down. The ILS for Kenneth Kaunda is to be replaced and a new one for Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International will be procurred. The equipage is expected to cost US$10 million.
GNSS procedures Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) procedures are used to navigate and land a suitably equipped aircraft at an airport where they have been implemented. The airports in Livingstone and Lusaka are on GNSS and there are plans to extend them to Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe and Mfuwe International Airports. “A very important part of the whole project is completing the implementation of the WGS84 coordinates in the Lusaka flight information Region (FIR),” said Mr Chinambu. “The implementation of this coordinate system is a prerequisite to the use of GNSS procedure.”
The study has been prompted by the worldwide changes in air traffic management and new concepts such as the aviation system block upgrade – an important step on the way to achieving a worldwide standardised air traffic management performance. The last airspace study was carried out in the early 1990s. NACL’s air navigation director, Frank Chinambu, said: “The study will in summary assess our current airspace organisation (routes, sectors) and management and, based on traffic projections, recommend the air traffic management operational performance improvements required. A cost-benefit analysis will also be carried out to justify the proposed changes. The study will also assess the impact of the proposed changes on air navigation charges and develop a business plan linked to the options to be recommended. The findings of the study will provide valuable input in the realignment of our current strategic plan, matching our requirements for a safe and efficient air traffic management system, thereby optimising our investment strategy for both the near and long term.” The tender closed at the end of June 2013 and the estimated cost of the project is US$500,000.
Human resource development A key component of this programme is the development of human resources to ensure that staff have the skills to operate in the new modern environment.
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aIrPOrt lOcatIOns & rOutes
Lake Tanganyika
Mweru Wantipa National Park
Nsumbu National Park
Lake Mweru
TANZANIA Kawambwa Kasama
Lusenga Plain National Park
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Isangano National Park
Lake Bangweulu
Nyika Plateau National Park
Lavushi Manda National Park North Luangwa National Park
Solwezi
ANGOLA West Lunga National Park
Kasanka National Park
Kitwe
NDOLA
ZAMBIA
Zambezi
Luambe National Park
South Luangwa National Park
Lukusuzi National Park
MFUWE
Kapiri Mposhi
Liuwa Plain National Park Kafue National Park
Mumbwa
MOZAMBIQUE
Mongu Blue Lagoon National Park
LUSAKA
Lower Zambezi National Park
Lochinvar National Park
Senanga mb
Za
Ngonye Falls
Siavonga & Kariba Dam
iR
ez
Lake Kariba
r
ive
Sioma Ngwezi National Park
Kazungula NAMIBIA Victoria Falls
BOTSWANA
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Sinazongwe LIVINGSTONE Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park
ZIMBABWE
MALAWI
KENNETH KAUNDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PO BOX 30175 - LUSAKA - ZAMBIA Prince Chintimbwe - Director Airport Services Tel: +260 211 271 292 Fax: +260 211 271 292 Cell: +260 977 795 227 Email: prince.chintimbwe@lun.aero Frank Chinambu - Director Air Navigation Services Tel: +260 211 271 118 Fax: +260 211 271 118 Cell: +260 966 726 893 Email: frank.chinambu@lun.aero Agness Chaila - Planning and Business Development Manager Tel: +260 211 27 144 / 271 313 Direct: +260 211 271 007 Fax: +260 211 271 007 Cell: +260 977 799 778 Email: agness.chaila@lun.aero
ďƒŹ WWW.NACL.CO.ZM