The Government of Japan issued a grant for the expansion of terminal buildings at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA), a development that will see the installation of the radar equipment, which will satisfy one of the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao).

Icao stressed that all airports should have this system by 2020 and Malawi approached Japan for assistance on the funding of the equipment, and to install in time.

A signing ceremony to mark the completion of the installation of $4.8 million (about K3.5 billion) surveillance equipment, Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director Alfred Mtilatila said the new system will also help to ensure security and safety of the airport as he remarked that the installation completed a year earlier to the deadline by Icao.

Ryuichi Limori, general manager for NEC Corporation, a Japanese information technology service provider that installed the equipment, said the air surveillance radar can obtain the position of an aircraft in airspace with high accuracy.

“This contributes to safe flights operation and improved efficiency of air traffic control services. This also leads to higher reputation of KIA’s safety of airspace,” he said.