A Commentary By Amin Kef (Ranger)
The political argument about whether the Freetown International Airport in Lungi which was officially commissioned by President Julius Maada Bio on Friday 3rd March, 2023 is a ‘brand new’ airport or ‘an appendage’ or ‘extension’ of the existing airport should not be the issue.
The real issue Sierra Leoneans must be thinking of is: How will this airport with state-of-the-art technology and facilities benefit Sierra Leone going forward?
Sierra Leone’s politicians have a very bad habit. They have a way of making something which is good for the general good of the public and for generations to come seem inferior, unimportant, useless, fake, needless or bogus, simply because they are not the ones to have initiated the project, building or what-have-you they are criticizing. This is very unpatriotic to say the least.
That said, it is no longer news that last Friday 3rd March, 2023, President Julius Maada Bio officially commissioned what he described as a brand-new international airport built with all necessary state-of-the-art technology and facilities that would greatly enhance passenger influx, airport and aviation management, boost tourism among other progressives for the country, and not for the SLPP alone.
What Sierra Leoneans need to understand is that the new airport project is a $270million ‘Build Operate Transfer (BOT)’ project between the SUMMA Group (a Turkish company) and the Government of Sierra Leone. The project was conceived, planned, and developed by the Office of Presidential Infrastructure Initiative as one of the strategic flagship projects of the Government.
The newly-completed Freetown International Airport has a new passenger terminal, a new VIP/ Presidential terminal, a new air traffic control tower, a new parallel runway, a new cargo terminal, a new search and rescue/fire-fighting facility and a new car park among many other new technological and state-of-the-art facilities.
As stated earlier, it matters not how our politicians see or describe this project, the reality is that at the end of it all, Sierra Leone will have a brand-new airport with modern international facilities and services that would change the dynamics of passenger travel to Sierra Leone, boost tourism and add value to the standard or our airport and our country.
While we hold no brief for President Julius Maada Bio, his Government or the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA), it should be noted that the purpose of the new airport in Sierra Leone is to attract more airlines so that it can be a transit hub. It is hoped that the new management will market the airport internationally to attract more airlines to Freetown.
According to the SUMMA Group of Turkey which constructed the airport, it is a ” brand new airport” constructed in a different location in Lungi from scratch. The entrance to the new airport is from the Port Loko Road away from where the old one is. It has the capability, space and personnel to host up to ten (10) planes at every given point in time with a capacity of 50,000 passengers monthly compared to 10,000 monthly using the old airport.
The above are just part of the overall benefits the new airport will bring for Sierra Leone in the short and long term. Another benefit is that the new airport is constructed on the ‘green model’ which emphasizes on the construction of solar panels to supply energy to the terminal building and runway on twenty-four hours basis, seven days a week.
It is little wonder that the Chairman of the official commissioning ceremony of the new airport, Alhaji Alpha Kanu who doubles as Presidential Spokesman mentioned that the new airport on completion symbolizes a new beginning for Sierra Leone, adding that, it is the forerunner to a new smart city in the near future.
Indeed, as stated earlier, we should be talking benefits, not politics when it comes to national development. Any political party could have done this with Sierra Leone being the focal point and benefactor.
