The Swaziland Civil Aviation Authority (SWACAA) is
refusing to disclose the names of airlines it says are willing to use the
Sikhuphe International Airport when it eventually opens.
This comes amid a disclosure that no agreements have been
made with Swaziland’s neighbouring countries about which routes planes will be
allowed to use in and out of the new airport. And, it could take at least three
years before airlines start using the airport.
SWACAA has been talking up the prospects for the airport,
even though it is not yet finished and no completion date has been announced.
Sikhuphe Airport, dubbed King Mswati III’s ‘vanity
project’ by critics, is at least two years behind schedule opening. The King
himself had confidently announced the airport would open in time for the
FIFAWorld Cup in South Africa in 2010, but today two years later the airport is
nowhere near ready to open.
SWACAA Marketing and Corporate Affairs Director Sabelo
Dlamini told Swazi media that at least three airlines from different countries
have ‘shown interest’ in using Sikhuphe, but he declined to name them. He
remained optimistic about the prospects for Sikhuphe and said SWACAA was
talking to airlines in other countries as well.
But, he also revealed that it could take three years for
an airline to actually start using the airport once it has decided to do so. ‘Normally,
airline operators need about three years to prepare for such an exercise and we
are nursing hopes that those we have approached will consider our proposals.
What I can safely say is that we have three potential airlines ready to operate
from the airport,’ he told the Swazi Observer.
Although he did not say so, this means it is highly
unlikely that any significant air traffic will use Sikhuphe before at least 2016.
Dlamini also revealed that no agreement had been reached
with Swaziland’s neighbours South Africa and Mozambique about which routes
planes would be allowed to take in and out of Sikhuphe.
There have been many doubts in the past that there is a
need for Sikhuphe. Swaziland’s existing airport at Matsapha is under used and
there are many other airports catering for international airlines in South
Africa and other nations in southern Africa. The total cost of Sikhuphe by the
time it is eventually finished has been estimated by some to be in the region
of US$1 billion.
These doubts were renewed this week by former Zombodze
Emuva Member of Parliament and businessman Titus Thwala who told SWACAA at a
meeting with the Federation of the Swazi Business Community (FESBC) that
Sikhuphe was a ‘white elephant’ that
would eventually bring the kingdom’s economy to its knees.
See also
BROKE SWAZIS PAY FOR KING’S VANITY
KING’S AIRPORT: MORE FALSE CLAIMS
No comments:
Post a Comment