CASSOA assists Burundi in its bid to improve Bujumbura International Airport

it is standard practice to regularly carry out maintenance work on aerodrome pavement areas. With the growing civil aviation activities within the region and recovery from war times, the Burundi Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) has embarked on an exercise to rehabilitate the aerodrome movement areas and construction of a modern air traffic control tower.

The BCAA made use of the EAC policy on sharing of technical resources as spelt out in the harmonised EAC Order CAA-O-GEN004D to seek CASSOA’s intervention in coordinating the technical support from Partner States. The purpose was to get technical advice on the best option of rehabilitating the aerodrome movement areas and erection of a new modern control tower at Bujumbura International Airport following a comprehensive evaluation.

CASSOA identified skilled experts from Uganda and Kenya and the team carried out their task from 21^st – 23^rd March 2016. The comprehensive Report on the technical mission was handed over to the Director General of Burundi CAA on 5^th May 2016 during the 34^th Board Meeting. Four key recommendations were made in the Report, namely:

1. There is need to establish the Pavement Classification index (PCI) of the pavements at Bujumbura International Airport. There is need for a consultant(s) to be identified in order to carry out a scientific study known as a Pavement Condition survey that will generate a PCI number for the pavements.
2. There is need for a consultant and contractor to be appointed/engaged in order to carry out design, supervision works and construction works related to rehabilitation of movement areas runway and construction of parallel taxiway and rapid exit taxiway to meet ICAO runway code 4E specifications and separation requirements. The construction works shall include markings and painting.
3. There is need for a consultant to be appointed/engaged in order to carry out design and supervision works for the proposed new control tower and office block. The team further recommended a control tower whose height shall be at least 21 metres above ground level to be taken into consideration.
4. The Agency should continue to support Burundi in the implementation of this project through supervision up to completion. This should be done with the technical staff of Bujumbura International Airport so as to equip them with technical skills necessary for future pavement management.