Over K200 Million needed to upgrade meteorological services at airports

The Ministry of Natural Resources has disclosed that it requires over K200 million to upgrade infrastructure, equipment, and tools for the Department of Climate and Meteorological Services at airports, which plays a critical role in providing weather reports essential for civil aviation.

Dr. Yusufu Mkungula, Secretary for the Ministry, underscored the department’s importance in ensuring accurate and standardized weather reporting for pilots, a function that heavily depends on reliable infrastructure.

“Despite this, for the past two years, we have struggled to maintain our weather equipment, tools, staff, and infrastructure,” Mkungula stated.

He further revealed that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recently conducted a global assessment of airports, evaluating their weather forecasting capabilities to ensure flight safety.

“They found that our airports do not meet required standards and have warned that if we fail to implement their recommendations within the next two to three years, we risk being blacklisted,” Mkungula warned.

He explained that such blacklisting would result in flights being barred from landing or taking off at the affected airports, posing a severe threat to the country’s aviation industry.

Despite the urgency, Mkungula expressed frustration, stating that the ministry has been actively seeking funding but has yet to receive any support.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has not yet commented on the matter.