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Tanzania Unveils Plans to Construct the Serengeti ‘Green’ International Airport Project

Published on May 16, 2025by Joel Mairura


Serengeti International Airport project

Development of the Serengeti International Airport project will commence following Tanzania’s 2025/26 national budget allocation. The Green International Airport, which is environmentally friendly, will be located in the Serengeti. It will be a strategic gateway to one of Africa’s most renowned wildlife attractions. The government has allocated Sh3 billion from local sources to fund a detailed feasibility study and initial construction works. Reading the budget in Parliament on May 15, Transport Minister Prof Makame Mbarawa elucidated, “The airport will preserve the Serengeti’s ecosystem while facilitating tourism access.”

He further said it will also function as a hub with connections to other international airports in Tanzania. The Serengeti International Airport project is expected to boost tourist inflow, regional development, and investment opportunities in northern Tanzania. It is part of the government’s larger push to increase air transport infrastructure, expand airport capacity, and introduce additional international air connections. The project also tracks global trends in green design and eco-tourism.



Significance of the Serengeti International Airport Project

The Serengeti International Airport project is of vital importance to Tanzania’s national master plan for aviation. It will be used to build the Serengeti tourism economy, as well as promote sustainable design and green technology. Prof Mbarawa claimed the facility would “open up access for investment and trade in northern Tanzania.” It is part of a broad program of upgrading aviation facilities across the country. In the 2025/26 budget, funds are also allocated to Mwanza, Arusha, Mtwara, Bukoba, and Kilimanjaro airports. There are plans to refurbish and expand Julius Nyerere International Airport’s Terminal II.

Serengeti International Airport Project

Development of the Serengeti International Airport project will commence following Tanzania’s 2025/26 national budget allocation.
The major allocations comprise Sh35 billion to upgrade Kilimanjaro International Airport. Additionally, Sh80.12 billion worth of foreign funds from the French government is allocated to further upgrades at JNIA. Overall, the Ministry of Transport has planned billions to enhance air safety, increase passenger handling capacity, and enhance operating efficiency at domestic and foreign airports. The Serengeti International Airport project is a cornerstone of this plan.

I'm not a big fan. The "green" tourists don't bring a lot of money per person, so they depend on volume. More people is not a good thing.

Especially certain nationalities, not to be Xenophobic but a whole lot of the illegal wildlife trade is run by and directed to Chinese. In 2017, we ran across some Chinese tourists who had managed to get a vehicle stuck in championship fashion, and believe me, I've managed to get impossibly stuck, but this was really special. Inconceivable really. We dug them out and got them on their way, but in the back of my mind was whether these were just tourists or organizing poaching.

Sorry if I offend anyone.