I found this article on the Tanzanian Daily News and wonder if any of our readers know why the hunting firm changed it's mind.

Proposed Serengeti airport project aborts
Correspondent MUGINI JACOB in Serengeti
Daily News; Tuesday,July 25, 2006
Plans to construct a modern airstrip in Serengeti District, Mara Region, have been suspended following an American hunting firm's decision to pull out from the proposed deal to fund the project. According to the Serengeti acting Executive Director, Mr Isack Kisa, the hunting company, Grumeti Reserves Ltd, has already written to the council stating that it won't fund the construction of the airport as it agreed earlier.

"The company has already written to us that it has withdrawn its intention to fund the construction of the airport," Mr Kisa told reporters in Mugumu township last weekend.

An American investor in the Serengeti ecosystem had mooted a massive transformation of the Serengeti District headquarters, Mugumu, into a tourism hub, with a possibility of a modern airport, among other facilities.

He hoped the project would assist the district to develop tourism facilities to enable local operators to utilise the northern section of the Serengeti National Park to its full potential and in such a way redirect income to the Serengeti District.

Some residents of Kyambahi Ward, where the airport would have been located, are now seeking legal assistance to take the council to court for having initially allegedly stopped villagers from developing the area because they would have been shifted and compensated to allow the airport project to take place.

Last year the hunting firm was said to have financed survey on the area to pave the way the construction of the airport. If the project had gone ahead, small jetliners flying direct from Europe and America would have been able to land at Mugumu. The whole project was the brainchild of Mr Paul Tudor Jones, a US millionaire and a prominent Wall Street trader.

it would have been the "american way" of life.........flying in - killing - flying out - DONE!
i have no idea why the american investor cancelled this project but i am very sure that a thorough research showed that the ROI wasn't as promising as assumed at the beginning. i doubt that common sense was the reason to withdraw...... it's shocking that such a project was close to become reality........
i am very happy that this project doesn't become reality because it would have meant that the northern serengeti would have faced a kind of traffic jam as it is already in the massai mara.

I found some more details on who wanted to build the landing strip. Here is the full article...

By Mugini Jacob in Serengeti (Daily News)

According to the Serengeti acting Executive Director, Mr Isack Kisa, the hunting company, Grumeti Reserves Ltd, has already written to the council stating that it won't fund the construction of the airport as it agreed earlier.

"The company has already written to us that it has withdrawn its intention to fund the construction of the airport," Mr Kisa told reporters in Mugumu township last weekend.

An American investor in the Serengeti ecosystem had mooted a massive transformation of the Serengeti District headquarters, Mugumu, into a tourism hub, with a possibility of a modern airport, among other facilities.

He hoped the project would assist the district to develop tourism facilities to enable local operators to utilise the northern section of the Serengeti National
Park to its full potential and in such a way redirect income to the Serengeti District.

Some residents of Kyambahi Ward, where the airport would have been located, are now seeking legal assistance to take the council to court for having initially allegedly stopped villagers from developing the area because they would have been shifted and compensated to allow the airport project to take place.

Last year the hunting firm was said to have financed survey on the area to pave the way the construction of the airport.
If the project had gone ahead, small jetliners flying direct from Europe and America would have been able to land at Mugumu.
The whole project was the brainchild of Mr Paul Tudor Jones, a US millionaire and a prominent Wall Street trader.

Daily News; Tuesday,July 25, 2006

Its a real good thing that it has been stopped!

It would have been the end of that area.............Imagine the Logistics and Constructions that would have appeared.

Sometimes I really wonder why Mostly (not all!), the Richer they get.....the less they think?
Or is it that they cannot have enough??????

REALLY SAD ATTIDUTE !!!

I guess, the price they pay for being rich is "time". The more successful, the less time they have. They cannot afford to travel long distances by road. The only option left, is to fly in, take a short look around and quickly rush back to their offices. They are prepared to pay any price as money doesn't play a role anymore.

And there are enough people around that will take advantage of this situation without considering the consequences on nature.

Those flying in, don't realize the impact they cause. Sometimes I wish, everytime they want to take a shot (hunting or photograph), the animal would be chased away by a helicopter. Maybe then they will understand.