By: Mohamed M. Sesay
A high powered delegation led by the Chief Minister Jacob Jusu Saffa, the Minster of Transportation and Aviation, and the Country Director Ibrahim Sheriff, has made a maiden inspection of the new ultra-modern Lungi International Airport which is now at advanced stage of rehabilitation by the Summa Group Company.
The Chief Minister Jacob Jusu Saffa and team were elated by the work done so far as the New Lungi Airport is at 75% completion.
The glad tiding news now is that, the New Lungi ultra-modern Airport dubbed as the gateway to success would be opened by December 2022.
Flight time to the United States of America would now be reduced to 7 hours, and Brazil 4 hours.
Updating the delegation on the amount of personnel working at the Lungi Airport, the Suma Group Director intimated the Chief Minister that they have six hundred Sierra Leonean staff working with the team. He added that they also have three hundred experts from Turkey and other countries working on the expansion of the Lungi Airport. He assured the Chief Minister that most of the construction is at an advanced stage of completion adding that, the entire airport project would be completed soonest.
It could be recalled that on the 12th of November 2022, President Bio objectified and actualized the reconstruction and rebranding the most outdated Lungi International Airport. Upon completion, the New Lungi Airport is anticipated to have 21st century VIP/Presidential Lounge, taxiway, new airport traffic terminal, expanding runways, implementation of Research and Rescue Fire Unit , rehabilitation of the car park among others.
After completion, the US$ 270 New Lungi Airport funded by the Summa Company, would now be projected as the face of the country with the propensity of attracting more investors and investments. It would also have the inevitable possibility of employing thousands of Sierra Leonean compatriots. This is the undiluted fact that since 1967 when the now old-fashioned Lungi International Airport was constructed, this is the very first time in the historicity of Sierra Leone under the astute leadership of President Bio, for the Lungi Airport to align with universally and internationally operated standards.