A conducive environment for economic growth requires adequate infrastructure that provides better connectivity and while enhancing productivity and efficiency.
The residents of Kahama and Shinyanga will soon enjoy direct flights from Kahama to Dar es Salaam.
The recent development is a result of support from Acacia Mining dating back to 2008 when it began operating its Buzwagi Gold Mine and ever since has continued to invest to ensure the Kahama airport is well-maintained and functional.
The close collaboration between the District Commissioner Fadhil Nkurlu and the mine has made it possible to introduce direct commercial flights.
The flights by Precision Air will ease the transportation of residents of Kahama and Shinyanga who were previously required to travel to Mwanza in order to catch a flight to Dar es Salaam.
“This will go a long way towards improving the time and money spent on travel,” said Charles Thomas, a local businessman adding that a road journey to Mwanza could easily take up to 6 hours.
Following the success of the test flight last month, Precision Air Corporate Affairs Manager Mr. Hillary Mremi said:
“The runway at Buzwagi is in very good condition and is well kept, this is good for the safety of our passengers and aircrafts. We appreciate the investment made by Acacia to upgrade the Buzwagi Airstrip, a move that has enabled us to start our flights to Kahama which will begin on 5 September, 2017 starting with three flights a week, and will increase the frequency depending on the demand.”
The move to address the infrastructure bottleneck is one that will have considerable positive impact on businesses in the Shinyanga region due to the reduction in operational costs; subsequently increasing their profitability.
Although Acacia has made significant investments in the upgrade and continuous maintenance of the airstrip, it is important to note that the airstrip remains the property of the Government under the custodianship of Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA).
The investment into the airstrip illustrates Acacia’s continued commitment to supporting the community and institutions surrounding its operational site.
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