Maputo — The first phase of the expansion and modernization of Maputo International Airport will be complete by 31 May, according to the Chinese contractor, the Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Corporation (AFECC).

Mozambican Prime Minister Ares Ali visited the airport on Wednesday, and expressed satisfaction at the pace and quality of the work, according to a report in Thursday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias".

He visited the new control tower, the international passenger terminal, which is nearing completion, and the presidential VIP lounge, which is lacking only the furniture for the rooms and the sanitary ware.

The building of a new domestic passenger terminal will only start after the international terminal is concluded, given the impracticability of constructing both terminals simultaneously.

The existing domestic terminal will be demolished, and until the new one is ready the international terminal will have to cope with domestic passengers too.

The main problem is that work on the airport is now budgeted at 134 million dollars, vastly in excess of the initial estimate of 70 million. But Ali guaranteed that the budget will be covered, and that the work will continue without problems.