"Thie runway marks the beginning of a brighter future for the airport as it can now accommodate bigger aircraft," the spokesman for the Eastern Cape Department of Transport Ncedo Kumbaca said.
The new runway formed part of the first phase of the airport's upgrade, which was expected to be completed during the current financial year and would include a new terminal building. The department said it wanted the airport to be the gateway to the east of the province by making it a hub linking road, rail and air transportation.
Transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu said the airport would boost the South Eastern Node and Corridor development project that is planned for the Eastern Cape as part of the presidential infrastructure co-ordinating commission.
The national Transport Department had allocated R465m to the project. "This plan cannot be successful if we don't have an anchor logistical hub in the centre of the corridor," Marawu said.
Marawu said it would also boost the province's industrial and agricultural development and export capacity.
"This project will enable government to unlock the economic growth potential of the region as a whole, as it provides access to the internationally renowned Wild Coast and other historic heritage sites," she said.
Kumbaca said the airport would try to attract more airlines to the route between Mthatha and Johannesburg and later Mthatha and Durban. SA Airlink is currently the only airline flying to Mthatha.
Source: Sowetan via I-Net Bridge
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