By Kemo Cham
Air travelers on transit at the Freetown International Airport (FNA) will henceforth have an opportunity to browse the internet like in many other international airports across the world.
The management of the Sierra Leone Airport Authority (SLAA) recently unveiled a high speed Wi-Fi service, with officials saying the move is part of an ongoing exercise of modernization of the country’s only international airport.
They say it’s also part of an ongoing expansion and rehabilitation project at the airport that is still struggling to survive stiff competition in a rapidly growing industry.
The event, held in the arrival lounge of the airport in Lungi,
also witnessed the launching of a quarterly newsletter published by the airport authority. The Freetown-based internet service provider, Diakem, was contracted to install and manage the service which saw FNA graduates from among the last few airports in the world without wifi service for passengers.
The SLAA expansion project commenced as early as 2014, shortly before the outbreak of the Ebola epidemic. With about US$20m spent so far, the airport has received a major facelift in the form of an additional runway, a new cargo terminal, as well as a major overhaul of the power transmission infrastructure of the larger Lungi community.
There was also the installation of communications and navigation products to enhance aviation security.
“This is an international airport, the gateway into the country. It is where someone traveling to this country gets the first impression,” Emil Rogers, SLAA Deputy General Manager, said at the launching ceremony.
Mr Rogers, who chaired the occasion, said the provision of a Wi-Fi service was born out of a perception survey among passengers who complaint the difficulties they face with the lack of internet access at the airport. Many people had lamented arriving and wanting to print their ticket, only to realise that there was no internet, the outcome of the survey, details of which is partly captured in the maiden edition of the SLAA newsletter, show.
Rogers said henceforth passengers could check their emails, print their e-tickets, make hotel reservation and even remain in touch with families back home while within the airport vicinity. He added that the two projects – wifi and newsletter - were also part of the targets in the performance management contract signed with President Ernest Bai Koroma.
Elvis Kargbo, chairman of the SLAA board, said with the publication of the newsletter, the Authority wanted to show not only to the national community, but also internationally, that there were activities going on at the airport.
Minister of Transport and Aviation, Leonard Balogun Koroma, who graced the launch, said the Wi-Fi service was also part of the government's ongoing effort to get the airport to meet international standard.
"You don't know how important Wi-Fi is until you have a 12 hour waiting for a connecting flight," the minister said as part of a keynote address. He said all modern airports had wifi connections and that FNA had been left behind only by circumstances which they had had to work hard to overcome.
FNA has also gone through massive structural development, including physical beautification, as can be seen in the newly paved vehicular and footpaths, the planting of ornamental flowers around the airport vicinity, as well as painting of its buildings.
Indoor the Lungi airport now boasts of two Duty Free Shops, and a coffee shop, and, according to Balogun Koroma, more facilities are coming.
The Aviation minister, during his keynote statement, singled out Brussels and Royal Air Maroc airlines for staying put with Sierra Leone at a time when other airlines deserted it in fear of the Ebola epidemic. He noted improvement at the level of the airport transfer system, saying sea transportation had improved now to the level that there were three boat services linking Lungi to mainland Freetown.
Minister Balogun envisaged a modern packing space, a hotel run by the airport management, and more beautification projects at the airport.
Last year FNA received about 240, 000 passengers, up from 90, 000 and a little over 100, 000 in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
SLAA’s General Manager, Idriss N. Fofanah, linked the increase on passenger number to the improvement in their services over the last two years after Ebola.
He told Politico in an interview on the sideline of Friday’s launching ceremony that the goal of the management is to enhance passenger comfort while seeking to maximise revenue for the airport which is still recovering from the effect of Ebola.
But despite the massive improvement in its services and revenue, FNA is still struggling to recover fully from the effect of the epidemic.
Out of nine airlines that flew into Lungi before the epidemic struck in 2013, seven seized their services. Currently only six airlines are operating in the country.
Fofanah said talks have been ongoing with the management of other airlines, like Asky, to resume flight. He said the Dutch airline, KLM, was due to resume flights later this year after conclusion of talks.
The long term plan of the management the airport, the GM added, is to make it a hub for the region. He explained that with its location at the tip of the equator, FNA is notably suitable for transshipment from the Middle East to South America.
(C) Politico 2017
