Libreville to realise Gabonese dream

Gabon’s planned new airport at Libreville will help to realise the dream of turning the city into a key airport hub in central and west Africa, through enhancing connectivity, providing jobs and increasing the country’s status in the region, writes Vincent Chappard.

The driving force behind the airport is local company, Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ) Airports, a subsidiary of the Olam Group.
It has commissioned the French engineering group Egis – active in Africa since 1988 with successful projects in Cameroon, Kenya and Madagascar – to supervise and control construction of the new facility.
As the volume of air traffic is still limited in Africa – and the economy of air transport on the continent is fragile – the investment in the new airport is of critical importance. “We must be inventive in the mobilisation of limited financial resources so that the burden of paying for the airport does not weigh too heavily on airlines, passengers and operators of the platform,” said Olivier Baric, Egis’ aviation director, Africa.
According to GSEZ CEO, Gagan Gupta: “Egis’ knowledge and understanding of the local conditions, as well as its immense experience of airport construction, will allow both groups, in unison, to provide national success in Libreville.”