By: Mohamed Jalloh
Dr Memunatu Pratt, the minister of tourism and cultural affairs has disclosed to A-Z newspaper the touristic benefits of the newly constructed Freetown International Airport to Sierra Leone, which was officially opened by president Bio on the 3rd March 2023.
She expressed profound thanks and appreciation to President Bio for making the tourism industry a national priority; as such an investment will lead to the attraction of more tourists to Sierra Leone. She noted that the experience of flying into Sierra Leone has changed for the better and passengers and tourists will be satisfied and comfortable with the state of the art facilities of the new airport.
The Tourism Minister said passenger volumes will climb steadily, and more air carriers have added Sierra Leone to their list of destinations, according to her, this is made possible due to the reconstruction and modernization of the runway that could accommodate larger flights.
She explained that the government has undertaken such an investment because they believe that it promotes job creation, boosts new sectors of growth especially in the tourism sector, supports international trade, and attracts new investment streams in other sectors.
Madam Pratt said the old airport at Lungi which the Bio led government inherited was a substandard with unmaintained, barely-functional, and very uncomfortable facilities for visiting tourists.
She said the experiences at the arrival and departure concourses, the luggage carousel, the airport foyers and exits and the ferry terminal were a far cry from what tourists would ever experience at modern airports all over the world.
“When tourists would be flooding into the country, the new international Airport and the reconstructed Ferry terminal will give an excellent first impression of the country”, she disclosed.
The Minister of Tourism noted that even though they have rebranded the image of the country internationally what use to obtain at the previous Lungi international airport was that of below average services.
Madam Pratt estimated that Passenger volumes will be hovering around 200,000 with an escalator, runways, taxi ways, and air aprons all in good working condition.
She noted that the country was at 20% compliance with the international civil aviation organization (ICAO) requirements adding that, the country’s airport levies were about the highest in the sub-region.
She considered such as an unfashionable legacy of the APC government but went on to note that the new direction government has increased the safety and compliance ratings and the emergency services of the new airport.
The minister of tourism referenced the New Direction manifesto which established a clear view for working within a regional vision to develop a sound and seamless regional air transport system that is safe, reliable, efficient, affordable, well connected within West Africa and integrated within the global network.
Since 1967 when the Lungi international airport runway was expanded, Madam Pratt affirmed that this is the first time in the history of the country that a completely new international airport terminal has been constructed.
She said no government has ever done such massive infrastructural development in the tourism sector and aviation sector.
“I expect that our friends, the SUMMA Group of companies will keenly consider our local content laws in employing and training locals as well as giving opportunities to local businesses”, he stated.
She assured that the New Freetown International Airports is the most sustainable airport within the sub-region with a solar farm generating 1.8mw electricity and internet facilities which can be of immense benefit to visiting tourists.
“Mr. President, you said it in your New Direction Manifesto, and you have done it in your usual TALK and DO fashion”, she said.
Dr. Pratt further appreciated the collaborative efforts and support of the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, ICAO, IATA, the Board of Airline Representatives and all other aviation stakeholders.
It is worth noting that the New Freetown International Airport comes with a New Presidential Lounge, New Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting, New Cargo Terminal, New Taxiway of 2,300m, New Ultra-modern Passenger Terminal, servicing 1.2m passengers a year and with 4 Passenger Boarding Bridges, New Parking lot with space for more than 200 vehicles, New Ground Handling and Management Building, New Passenger Terminal Apron, Runway pavement of about 3,200m, Solar Farm that generates 1.8mw electricity, New Air Traffic Control Tower of about 38m high and New Commercial Zones.
