Rural Airfield Development

DORSCH CONSULT, in association with a local consulting engineering firm, was entrusted with the formulation of an economically feasible and technically rational programme for the development of Lesotho' s rural airfields.

The development programme consists of major reconstruction work and safety provisions at the four airfields of Leribe, Sehonghong, Thaba-Tseka and Kolberg in order to upgrade them to regional standard, limited improvement/upgrading work at 21 other existing airfields – to be determined in the course of the project – and the construction of new airfields at locations where the growth in demand was deemed to justify such an investment.

In general terms the works comprised runway sections, runway/strip widenings, provision of aircraft parking areas, provision of basic terminal shelters/storerooms, provision of airfield fencing, upgrading of building equipment and services, upgrading of meteorological services, communications facilities and basic safety standards.

In all twenty-seven airfields, plus overall aeronautical communication links, were identified for improvement/development.