Information was received last week that the current work program for the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam is on course, now that the demolition of houses and buildings within the area set aside for the expansion has been completed.
While some residents claim their compensation leaves them a lot poorer as their properties and land were undervalued, this was predictably rejected by sources from within government.
The airport will get a new terminal and a new enlarged taxiway, which in cases of emergency, can also serve as a spare runway, and when the work is completed the capacity to handle planes will nearly triple from the present 11 planes an hour to almost 30 planes an hour.
Also under construction is a new VIP lounge. Funding for the work is coming from the Netherlands through grants and loans and by the Tanzanian government, which in recent years has committed more resources to the maintenance and upgrade of aviation infrastructure across the entire country.
