New domestic terminal opens at Maputo airport

Construction work has finished on the new domestic terminal at Maputo International Airport, in a project that cost $36 million.

Work began 20 months ago when Chinese firm Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group (AFECC) demolished the old passenger terminal and began building a modern building whose standards are comparable "with many airports in developed countries" according to project director Acacio Tuendue.

The Chinese company handed over the finished terminal to its owner the Mozambican Airports Company (ADM) on 3 October, but AFECC remains liable for repairs should any malfunction occur within the first year of the handover, and within five years in the case of the building's roof.

The terminal's two halls and 14 check-in counters have the capacity to process 580 passengers an hour during peak times. There is also a retail area.

During construction work, all domestic and international flights operated out of the international terminal.

The new domestic terminal is part of the airport's re-modernisation project which included the opening of a cargo terminal in 2009.