The Chinese Economic Counsellor Shen Xiaokai has said in an interview on Friday that due to the increase in flights coming to West Africa and lack of connection to other continents, the new airport and sea port that are to be constructed and expanded respectively can serve as a hub for the sub-region.
He said the West African route has been lucrative for many carriers, and the U.S.-West Africa link has become a cash cow since U.S.-based United Airlines exited Lagos in July, taking 3,000 seats off the U.S. route.
He said for a country to be a hub, an airport must have cheap aviation fuel plus maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities. It also needs an airline to drive the hub, according to travel business.
“To be a hub, an airport must have a good transfer desk and transit section with transit visas issued on arrival. The new airport that is to be constructed in Mamamah, will be able to serve the purpose because it will meet all the conditions and I am sure the government of Sierra Leone will be able to secure a carrier that will be their flagship.”
Mr Shen said presently, no West African airport has all the ingredients. Ghana wants to claim the spot he said as they are now offering visas on arrival to all Africans – this started in July. They also reduced the cost of aviation fuel by 25 percent but they still lack a strong airline and maintenance facilities.
The Economic Counsellor averred that building a new airport now will definitely have the full capacity to take that spot, when the Mamamah airport would have been completed. Sierra Leoneans will then understand how important the country will be because of the expanded sea port and the new airport as they will have the capacity to capture the counties across the Atlantic Ocean.
Mr Shen said what brings business people to a country are the ease they can reach a country with speed and safety. He said that is what is affecting Sierra Leone because when a business man lands for the first time at Lungi and has to go through such dangerous challenge to reach the mainland, means when he goes back he will not come again.
“Tildore has already signed the agreement to expand the sea port that will definitely give the country the advantage from all the countries in the sub-region and it will be the best sea port in the sub-region to serve West Africa and beyond.”
“West Africa, despite its 40-plus airports and 300 million population in the 15 countries, lacks a strong airline and has no airport hub. Nigeria should have been the best country to be the hub, but due to the internal challenges, makes it difficult for them. Ghana too can assume that roll, but Sierra Leone has the advantage to get both land and sea hub due to its geographical location.”
Mr Shen said about 80 percent of all aviation traffic in West Africa is carried by non-African carriers and about 15 percent by non- West African carriers.
He said with the new airport Sierra Leone is yearning for, will give them a boost and will entice them to create their own airline that he believes will develop to be one of the best in the continent.
Tuesday August 16, 2016