Deputy Minister of Public Works and Transport, Peter Dimba, has announced the commencement of maintenance works at Mzuzu Airport. These works include extending the runway from 1,300 meters to 1,600 meters to accommodate larger planes.
In his last State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera highlighted the government's commitment to rehabilitate Mzuzu Airport and Karonga Aerodrome to restore flights to northern Malawi.
Writing on his Facebook page, Dimba revealed that commercial flights, which ceased operations years ago, are expected to resume at Mzuzu Airport by March this year. Meanwhile, flights to Karonga are set to resume in the second half of the year.
"The maintenance of Mzuzu Airport for the resumption of flights is just a temporary measure," Dimba stated. "The construction of the new Orton Chirwa International Airport, to be built around Ekwendeni, remains a top priority on President Chakwera's development agenda, with funds being identified for this massive multi-billion Kwacha project."
The last commercial flight at Mzuzu Airport was operated by Air Malawi in 2010 using a 42-passenger ATR aircraft. With the extended runway, Malawi Airlines, the country's flag carrier in which the government holds a 54% majority share, will begin operating commercial flights using a 72-passenger Bombardier aircraft.
Dimba also shared updates on waterway transport, noting that the Likoma Port is nearing completion and that waterway infrastructure is 80% complete. President Chakwera's broader agenda includes modernizing water transport, aiming to replace the aging MV Ilala with more modern ships.