Lungi Freetown Airport expansion project now has consent from the Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone after the legislative branch of the government of the West African country approved the Build-Operate-Transfer Agreement for the Construction, Financing, and Concession of the project.
The agreement was signed with Summa Airports (SL) Limited, a subsidiary of Summa, which is a Russian independent group of companies with holdings in port logistics, engineering, construction, telecommunications, and oil and gas sectors.
Scope of the project
The project, whose foundation stone was laid mid last month by President Julius Maada Bio, will according to the Deputy Minister of Transport and Aviation, Sadiq Sillah focus mainly on the construction of a new passenger terminal that will cater for three million passengers upon completion, the construction of a VIP/presidential lounge as well as the taxiway and a new airport traffic terminal.
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Other works will include resealing of the runway, implementation of search and rescue fire force unit, and rehabilitation of the car park and road safety and its signs.
Fully funded to the tune of US$ 270m by Summa, the project is scheduled to be complete within a period of 24 months upon which the company will operate the airport for a period agreed in the contract, before it transfers it to the State of Sierra Leone.
Benefits of the project
Minister Sadiq Sillah said that the construction when completed would benefit the people of Sierra Leone and provide over two thousand job opportunities for Sierra Leoneans; adding that it would also boost the tourism sector and provide the government with the much-needed revenue.
The Minister also said the modernized airport, with the ability to simultaneously process 8 large aircraft, will serve as a hub for cargo planes in the sub-region.
