By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
Rapid progress has been ongoing during the construction of the new ultra-modern international airport in Lungi by Turkish Summa Construction Company.
The project, whose foundation stone was laid by President Julius Maada Bio on the 12th November 2022 which will 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 taxi way and a new airport traffic terminal.
Other works will include resealing of the runway, implementation of search and rescue fire force unit, 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 completed by the end of this year, upon which the company will operate for a period agreed in the contract, before transfer to the government of Sierra Leone.
During the launch of the project, President Bio said that they were building a brand new airport expansion with new passenger presidential and VIP terminals with ultra-modern equipment and would accommodate at least 8 large aircraft, adding that after its completion Sierra Leone will have a brand new modern, safe, and a state of the heart international airport reflective of the New Direction Government.
Since 1967 when the Lungi International Airport runway was expanded, this will be first time in the history of Sierra Leone that a completely new International Airport Terminal will be constructed.
