Minister John Mutorwa has commissioned a project to rehabilitate the Katima Mulilo Airport's runway in the Zambezi Region. The Minister of Works and Transport says the long-awaited rehabilitation will cost about N$39 million. Mutorwa says the money is in addition to N$35 million the ministry spent on supplying the Automated Weather Observing System. He says that they approved the tender to upgrade the runway, taxiway and apron of Katima Mulilo Airport in September 2013. But he says the initial scope of work changed from maintenance to the upgrade, stressing that strategically located Katima Mulilo Airport has the potential to service international tourism flights into Angola, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. He says the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) and his ministry will do their part to rehabilitate and improve the airport and build more new facilities. NAC Chairperson Dr. Leake Hangala, says airports contribute to the socio-economic development of any country. He says that they make an economic impact on surrounding communities, support industries like tourism and employ people.