My Take on Karonga International Airport – The Villager’s Perspective

A lot of demeaning of Karonga International Airport has been done. The airport has been called all sorts of names. Some calling it a garage and a grinding mill while others calling it a mortuary. Small minds they are. As for the villager, he is seeing a fully fledged international airport.

The Air distance of Songwe-Karonga-Lilongwe to Johannesburg route is 1,936kms while air distance route of Songwe-Dar Es Salaam-Johannesburg is over 3,000kms. Southern Highlands region of Tanzania has a population of about 6 million (2012). If one is flying from Tabola region (the largest region in Tanzania) Johannesburg through Lilongwe or through Dar Es Salaam it is the same air distance of about 2,750kms. That is another catchment area for Karonga airport. We just need incentives to attract traffic to Karonga Airport.

WHAT IS THE VILLAGER SEEING?

I am seeing flights extending from Songwe Airport catering for Southern Highlands and Tabola regions of Tanzania to Karonga Airport to link with Malawian Airline enroute to South Africa and to international destinations because it’s a shorter distance than flying through Dar EsSalaam. I am further seeing small feeder aircrafts such as beachcraft 1900, Embraer 120 etc and later ATR 72, Q400 etc flying between Songwe Airport (Tanzania) and Karonga Airport. I am seeing Karonga airport being more international airport than mzuzu airport which will be more of a domestic airport. I am further seeing the Karonga airport being expanded to a proper international airport in a very short time. Swahili is widely spoken in Karonga that will be a big plus to attract travellers from Tanzania flying to international destinations through Karonga International Airport.

Apart from the business and casual private travellers landing at Karonga, I am seeing tourism boom in Karonga and Chitipa. Karonga lake excursions, Mafinga forest, Karonga Museum, boliwoli mountain forest, chitipa three countries border, songwe river tourism flourishing. Along side tourism boom, I am seeing hospitality in Karonga flourishing.

This development is exciting to Rayoni Tourism Airline as it calls for reprogramming of its planned routes and Rayoni Tourism Centre as it calls for reprogramming of tour sites routes.