AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT International News Each Issue of Airport Development Focuses on a Different Region of the World, with Global News at the End of This Section
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Page 1 of 11 25 August 2020 No. 1127 DEV Published biweekly – available by annual subscription only – www.mombergerairport.info Editorial office / Subscriptions Phone: +1 519 833 4642 e-mail: [email protected] Managing Editor / Publisher: Martin Lamprecht [email protected] News Editor: Paul Ellis [email protected] – Founding Editor: Manfred Momberger Momberger Airport Information by Air Trans Source Inc. – international news & data – published since 1973 AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT International News Each issue of Airport Development focuses on a different region of the world, with global news at the end of this section. A list of past focus regions published in recent years can be downloaded from the Bonus section in the subscriber pages of our website. Focus Region: Africa – The South CAMEROON The objectives of a Transport Sector Development Project for Cameroon are to: Strengthen transport planning; Improve transport efficiency and safety on the Babadjou - Bamenda section of the Yaounde - Bamenda transport corridor; and Enhance safety and security at selected airports. This project has four components: 1) The first component, Transport Planning and Capacity Building, aims at strengthening the capacity of the public sector in the planning, development, management and maintenance of transport infrastructure. It has the following subcomponents: (a) Training in transport planning, including data collection and management of modelling tools; (b) Institutional strengthening studies; (c) Preparation of the transport priority investment programme (TPIP); (d) Identification and preparation of pilot transport infrastructure (PPP) projects; and (e) Development of a resilience and climate change adaptation strategy for land transport. 2) The second component, Road Transport Efficiency Improvement, is expected to reduce travel time between Babadjou and Bamenda by improving physical and safety conditions on the most degraded section of the priority road corridor linking the capital city of Yaoundé to Bamenda. 3) The third component, Air Transport Safety and Security Improvement, focuses primarily on facilitating ICAO’s effective implementation (EI) rating of Aerodrome and Ground Assistance (AGA) at project airports (Yaoundé, Douala, Garoua). The project was approved in October 2016 and has a total project cost of USD 206.70 million. The commitment amount of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is USD 192 million, and the closing date is 30 June 2022. -- Cameroon has 42 aerodromes of which ten have scheduled traffic, three are international airports and five are major regional airports. The international airports are Douala (Cameroon’s busiest airport), Yaoundé-Nsimelen, and Garoua, while the most important regional airports are Maroua-Salak in the North, Ngaoundéré in Adamaoua province, Bertoua in the East, Bafoussam in the West, and Bamenda in the Northwest. #1127.1 SÃO TOMÉ & PRINCIPE The African Development Bank (AfDB) will donate EUR 12.46 million to finance the Energy Transition and Institutional Support Programme (ETISP) in the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. The five-year programme is expected to cost around EUR 13 million, of which EUR 550,462 has been provided by the Santomean government to promote green growth and sustainable development of the country’s electrical network. The funds will also be used to strengthen the management of public finances and the local business climate. The donation was approved by the Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional financing window of the AfDB Group. According to the AfDB, the programme has three components: Directing the energy transition towards renewable energy; providing institutional support while strengthening financial governance and the business climate; Supporting the government in implementing the programme and building institutional capacity. Copyright © 2020 - Momberger Airport Information - www.mombergerairport.info Page 2 of 11 25 August 2020 No. 1127 DEV The ETISP’s priorities will be to finance urgent work and to bolster the network of existing thermal power stations. The programme will also support the implementation of an energy efficiency programme, improve airport equipment to increase exports, develop essential computer systems for public finance management, and strengthen institutional capacities in environmental and social management as well as gender equality. The implementation of this programme is likely to result in higher production capacity based on the development of renewable energy sources and greater availability of existing installed capacity. This will give people better access to energy, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and better technical and financial viability of the sector. The program will also improve the reliability of the electricity supply and increase the country’s export capacity. #1127.2 EQUATORIAL GUINEA Turkish Airlines continues to expand its flight network with the launch of operations to Malabo, making the capital of Equatorial Guinea its 319th destination. As the 60th destination of the global carrier in Africa, flights to Malabo will be operated on the Istanbul – Port Harcourt – Malabo – Istanbul route with Boeing 737-900 aircraft. Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, M. İlker Aycı, stated: “A new era has begun in Turkish aviation and tourism sector with Istanbul Airport. Our new and improved operation hub offers us an unparalleled performance advantage when it comes to enhancing our flight network. Today, in line with our continuing growth strategy, we are happy to announce the addition of Malabo to the ever-expanding flight network of Turkish Airlines. We firmly believe that our new route will further enhance the relations between Turkey and Equatorial Guinea in all areas.” Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, is the second largest city of the country. Apart from being an oil-rich city, it is also at the forefront with tourism activities. With its natural wonders, rich world cuisine, and historical architecture, Malabo is one of the most prominent destinations in Africa. Travellers who wish to experience the exotic atmosphere of Malabo, the oldest city of Equatorial Guinea, will be able to fly to this great destination with Turkish Airlines. #1127.3 GABON The New Libreville International Airport is the proposed new development to replace the city’s existing ‘Léon Mba International Airport’. To be developed at a location approximately 50 km north of the current Libreville Airport, the new facility will feature a 19,000-m² terminal capable of handling approximately 3.75 million passengers annually and a 3,300-m runway. France’s ADPi was commissioned to develop the design concept and master plan. Construction was expected to start after 2020. #1127.4 ANGOLA The New Luanda Airport is a development project being constructed on the outskirts of Luanda Province. It is also known as Angola International Airport and has been under construction since 2008. The greenfield project will be constructed on a 1,324-hectare site, 40 km from Luanda and will feature two runways capable of handling A380 aircraft and 13 million passengers per annum. The opening was scheduled for 2015/2016 but was delayed several times. It will act as an alternative to the existing ‘Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport’. The airport project represents one of the many frustrations of Angolans with China’s presence, since the Chinese company that managed and funded the project has come under scrutiny for its past misdealings. The firm, known as China International Fund (CIF), led a consortium of Chinese companies, in conjunction with Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht to build the international airport, which was designed with 12 gates to accommodate 13 million travellers annually. The airport was billed by the Angolan government to be a major hub for sub-Saharan Africa, and a rival Copyright © 2020 - Momberger Airport Information - www.mombergerairport.info Page 3 of 11 25 August 2020 No. 1127 DEV to South Africa’s O.R. Tambo International Airport, near Johannesburg, which saw 21.7 million passengers in 2019. Construction delays and an outdated design eventually forced the Angolan government under President João Lourenço - who took office in 2017 after being handpicked by his predecessor José Eduardo dos Santos - to cancel the contract with CIF in February 2019, citing non- performance. According to U.S. government data, construction was about 60% complete as of August 2019, including runways that measure 4,200 m and 3,800 m. But costs have ballooned. “Initially, the project was budgeted at USD 300 million, but it rose to USD 9 billion. And there is no end in sight,” Angolan reporter Rafael Marques said in a recent interview with German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW). Another Chinese company, the state-run Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC), has taken over the project. Angola’s Transport Minister Ricardo de Abrea says the airport is now slated to be completed in 2023, according to local daily Journal de Angola. Marques said the project shows how China has left the country indebted. “When we look at what has been built so far, it is a project that was made to loot the loans that China granted to Angola for national reconstruction,” he said to DW. “It is a never-ending construction project that, at this point, does not make much sense and leaves the Angolan state highly indebted.” ´ China has offered more than USD 60