Zambia Airport Corporation Limited – ZACL has signed a 15 year deal with the Urban Hotel Group (UHG) to operate and manage the newly built hotel at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport – SMKIA that will Service the Copperbelt region.
Speaking during the signing ceremony attended by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, ZACL managing director Fumu Mondoloka said the development is in line with the vision to make Zambia a regional transport hub.
Mondoloka said the corporation’s strategic plan to grow its non-aeronautical revenue streams and revenue diversification program that consist of implementation unit – the commercial directorate, that will leverage the land use plans in Lusaka, drive hotel development at major airports and handle cargo.
The ZACL MD stated that the new airport will handle big planes such as the boeing 747-400 aircraft and is equipped with state of the art and modern airport equipment, three aerobridges, a new fuel farm, a commercial centre block and the cargo terminal facility.
ZACL Commercial Director Brian Chintu told ZBT that the selection of Urban Hotel was arrived at through a rigorous process that involved a Cape Town based consultant. There was an initial shortlist of suitable hotels that included brands such as Born Hotel, Protea Hotel, Tsogo Sun’s Stay Easy and urban Hotel who submitted bids from which Urban Hotel was selected as the ideal hotel.
“The selection of Urban hotel marks an endorsement to local hotel brands as Urban started their hotels at Kalumbila (impala suites), then expanded to Ndola and are now building a hotel in Lusaka”, Chintu stated.
And Urban Hotels Group Chairman Chisha Mwanakatwe said the new Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International airport Urban Hotel comes with 50 hotel rooms, will contribute to increasing hotel rooms capacity on the Copperbelt. He said the Urban hotel has been rated as the best hotel on the Copperbelt and will ensure that they aid the Copperbelt’s diversification from Copper to tourism and trade.
The Zambian government has invested over US$1 billion in airport infrastructure which has seen the country have three international standard terminals. The Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport at Zambia’s tourism capital of Livingstone is already completed and operational.
The other two are the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport extension at Zambia’s administrative capital of Lusaka is at over 90% completion while the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport is expected to service Zambia’s mining and industrial hub on the Copperbelt.
