At least 270 families resident in Inhambane town of Southern Mozambique are to be relocated to restore the security and visibility conditions required for airport operations.
The Mozambican Civil Aviation Authority (IACM) announced that the affected families will be compulsorily removed from this week and relocated to in neighbourhoods of Marambone, Malembwane, and Muele III.
The Mayor of Inhambane, Benedito Guimino said the houses were built without any authorisation from the municipality.
Some families in the affected areas have been there for over 15 years and living in structures built with roofing sheets merely 80 metres from the runway.
IACM warns that the current state of affairs is a danger to aircraft and that, unless the buildings give way by June, Inhambane airport could be closed.
Guimino insists that affected families in Inhambane will have to dismantle their houses and rebuild them in the new resettlement areas.
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Airport company AdM’s delayed plans to extend the Inhambane runway from the current 1,500 metres to 2,700 metres, expand and modernise Inhambane airport can only go on after the houses have been removed.