Blantyre International Airport ready for wide-body aircraft in January 2020

According to Malawi 24, the rehabilitation of the main runway of the second important airport platform in Malawi, Blantyre, has been completed. According to the Malawi Minister of Transport and Public Works, the airport will resume receiving large aircraft from January 2020.

"I am pleased to inform the airlines that the runway rehabilitation is now complete, and that they will start using it next year," said Ralph Jooma. Air Tanzania is even believed to be ready to start operations in Malawi after the re-opening of the runway.

Closed to traffic in April 2019, the upgrades to Chileka Blantyre Airport cost 4.8 billion Malawi Kwacha ($ 6.5 million). During the constructions, large aircraft that could not land on the secondary runway and were diverted to Kamuzu International Airport, located in the capital Lilongwe.

Scheduled to be completed in July 2019, the renovation of the main runway at Chileka airport has been slowed down, due to delays in the acquisition of the materials necessary for its pursuit.