The Tanzanian government has outlined plans to transform Msalato International Airport into a major transport and logistics hub for the Great Lakes region, a move expected to strengthen trade, tourism, and regional integration while positioning Dodoma as an emerging centre of sustainable economic growth.
Speaking during a study visit to Sweden’s Arlanda International Airport, Tanzania’s Ambassador to Sweden, Mobhare Matinyi, said the initiative is part of a broader strategy to make the country’s aviation infrastructure more competitive, efficient, and environmentally sustainable. He emphasized that the Msalato project is not only about connectivity, but about catalysing green trade and ensuring that Tanzania becomes a key gateway for perishable exports, such as fruits, vegetables, and flowers, from across East and Central Africa.
“The government’s goal is to provide world-class transport services for exporters of perishable goods, ensuring swift and high-quality access to international markets,” Matinyi said, adding that Msalato’s strategic location at the heart of the Great Lakes makes it an ideal base for both passenger and cargo air transport.
Once operational, Msalato International Airport will be one of the few airports in Africa designed from the outset to accommodate sustainable aviation technologies and regional trade flows. The facility, located about 12 kilometres from Dodoma city, is more than 90 per cent complete on infrastructure and 62 per cent on buildings, according to the Ministry of Transport.
The airport is envisioned to play a pivotal role in reducing logistical inefficiencies and cutting carbon-intensive road transport across the Great Lakes region, linking Tanzania more effectively with Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). For exporters of horticultural products, the airport promises shorter transit times, lower spoilage rates, and reduced transport-related emissions.
The project also complements the Dodoma Urban Growth Master Plan, which aims to position Tanzania’s administrative capital as a model for climate-smart urbanization. The surrounding area is expected to host logistics parks, green industrial zones, and renewable energy-powered cold storage facilities, investments that could make Msalato a regional benchmark for sustainable infrastructure.
The Tanzanian delegation leading the study tour included Eng. Shomari Shomari, Director of Transport Infrastructure at the Ministry of Transport; Clemence Jingu, Director of Msalato International Airport; and Shani Mayosa, Legal Officer at the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA). Their meetings with Avia Solutions Group, a European aviation leader managing 15 airports across the Nordic region, focused on operational excellence, digital airport management systems, and environmentally responsible operations.
Avia Solutions Group brings more than five decades of experience in modern aviation, with a portfolio that includes 221 leased aircraft and management of airports in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and beyond. By benchmarking against these systems, Tanzania aims to integrate best practices in energy efficiency, waste management, and carbon monitoring into Msalato’s operations.
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Such cooperation aligns with global efforts to decarbonise aviation. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has identified sustainable airport infrastructure as a critical step in meeting the sector’s net-zero emissions target by 2050. For Tanzania, incorporating solar power, digitalized air traffic systems, and green construction standards could set a new precedent for regional airport design.
The completion of Msalato International Airport is expected to drive significant regional development outcomes. Current projections suggest the facility could support more than 50,000 direct and indirect jobs across logistics, agriculture, tourism, and services. By improving export logistics, the airport will help smallholder farmers and agribusinesses access high-value markets in the Middle East and Europe.
Tanzania’s horticulture exports have already grown by over 120 per cent in the past five years, according to data from the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA). However, limited airfreight capacity remains a constraint, forcing exporters to rely on road transport to Nairobi or Addis Ababa before connecting to global markets. The Msalato project could reverse this trend by offering direct cargo routes, reducing costs, and enhancing competitiveness.
Additionally, the airport will serve as a key node in the East African Community’s (EAC) regional integration strategy, which prioritises transport corridors that enhance intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework. Improved air connectivity is expected to support regional tourism, attract foreign investment, and enable faster humanitarian and disaster response across the Great Lakes basin.
For Tanzania, Msalato International Airport is more than an aviation project, it represents a blueprint for sustainable infrastructure-led growth. The government has increasingly framed transport investments as enablers of broader development goals: rural electrification, agricultural productivity, and environmental resilience.
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The project’s integration with Dodoma’s renewable energy grid and its commitment to adopting international green certification standards reflect an ambition to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
By anchoring this development within a sustainability framework, Tanzania signals its intent to redefine how infrastructure projects can simultaneously deliver economic value, social inclusion, and environmental stewardship.
As construction nears completion, Msalato International Airport stands not just as a gateway for air travel but as a symbol of how African nations can combine infrastructure development with sustainability to power a more connected, resilient, and competitive continent.
