Xai Xai, 1 December 2021 (TDI): China officially handed over the Xai-Xai Chongoene Airport to the government of Mozambique. The Airport was made with help of China in the Xai-Xai district of the country. It is estimated that the Airport will boost the social and economic development of the country by generating sufficient revenue.

At one point in time, the project got delayed for almost six months because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing limitations. Nevertheless, despite that, the Airport was successfully completed and handed over to the government of Mozambique on 29th November.

The Xai-Xai Chongoene Airport was inaugurated by the President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, on Monday. It has a capacity of 220,000 passengers and is expected to promote the advancement of the Gaza Province. The area of the Airport is approximately 1.4 million meters square.

The project was launched in 2018 and was funded by the Chinese government. Almost $75 million were used for the construction of the Airport. The project was undertaken by China Aviation International Construction and Investment and features a runway of 1800m. The initiation of regularly scheduled services to the airport hasn’t been announced yet.

The bilateral relations between Mozambique and China are steadily growing under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The resultant mutually beneficial cooperation has helped to stabilize and strengthen the economic situation of Mozambique. Despite the outbreak of Covid-19, the two partners have regularly collaborated.

China has helped Mozambique stabilize its local market as well as the agricultural sector. It is the third-largest source of imports and second-largest export destination for Mozambique. Moreover, China has also helped the country to tackle the pandemic by providing Covid-19 vaccines.

Aside from that, China has been working on various projects related to infrastructure and developmental schemes. They include the construction of bridges, roads, ports as well as railway facilities. The latest example of the bilateral partnership between the two is the Xai-Xai Chongoene Airport.