Tanzania (finally) starts construction of Dodoma International Airport
After transferring the country's political capital from Dar-Es-Salaam to Dodoma, the Tanzanian government decided to provide the city in the center of the country with the land and air infrastructure that its new status confers. It is in this context that the new international airport project, which has been in the pipeline for several years, is finally taking shape.
The construction of the Msalato International Airport, located about 12 kilometers from downtown Dodoma, has finally begun. The Tanzanian President, Samia Suluhu Hassan laid the foundation stone on Sunday, October 30, 2022. The event comes two years after the government announced the construction of the facility, and three years after the country's political capital moved from Dar-Es-Salaam to Dodoma. The contract was awarded on September 13, 2021, the day the agreement was signed between the Tanzania National Road Agency (TANROADS) and the main contractor, the Chinese company Sinohydro Corporation. Sinohydro Corporation will carry out the project in partnership with two other Chinese companies, namely Beijing Sinaero Construction Engineering Co and China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co.
After the completion of phase 1 of the project, the infrastructure will be able to accommodate 1.7 million passengers per year. In October 2019, the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved a USD 455 million loan for the construction of the airport hub (USD 275 million) and the development of several service roads (USD 180 million). The project is part of the Tanzania Development Vision (TDV) 2025 plan. The project is planned in two stages and is expected to take four years to complete. Dodoma already has a domestic airport. However, it cannot accommodate large aircraft. The international airports of Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro remain the most important in the country.
