2022 Airport Master plan review: |05 February 2022
Towards a five-star facility
“With the revision and update of the 2009 airport master plan, Seychelles is heading towards a five-star facility,” Transport Minister Antony Derjacques has said.
In its latest sitting this week, the cabinet of ministers approved for the revision and update of the 2009 Airport master plan using updated transport statistics, and trends and developments in the local and global aviation industry to guide changes.
To elaborate on this decision, Minister Derjacques, principal secretary for civil aviation, ports and marine Alan Renaud, Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) chief executive Garry Albert and SCAA board chairman Marlon Orr met with the press yesterday at the Botanical House.
“In 2007-2009, Air Seychelles had a master plan for its development and this week the cabinet of ministers approved for the revision of the master plan. Various components have been added to the plan and it will give us a broader vision on what do we want to develop at the airport and also zone 21. Everywhere in the world, when ports and airports are developed, the economy also develops. Our airport was constructed in 1972 and this year it turns 50. Our airport needs to be developed and we are determined to do it. This revised and updated plan and concept is the basis of this new project,” explained Minister Derjacques.
SCAA chief executive Gary Albert added that since 2009, the government and SCAA had a master plan as they did recognise that the aviation sector needed to grow.
“This plan was made to look into the airport development for the next 20 to 50 years. Since the plan was approved, we were supposed to start work, such as sea filling and building a new terminal, etc. The development should have been done phase by phase. What we have noticed is that in the last 15 years there was no development done in accordance with the plan, thus causing an increase in problems at the airport. We now have more airplanes coming in with more passengers and our airport is very small and unable to cater for such services. For this reason, the SCAA continues to push for the government to look into the development of our airport,” said Mr Albert.
He added that together with the new minister for transport, they recognised that things should move fast.
Said CEO Albert: “One of our major problems is the parking for airplanes. We advertise our market saying that all are welcome. We have 14 airlines coming and in the past the airport would dictate the time for the airplanes to land in Seychelles. But nowadays things have changed and the airlines design their schedule to respond to the demand of the travellers. The runway is available but not the terminal. We are already late and we have to once and for all have a master plan that will solve the problems for the next 50 years at least. That is why we had to go cabinet to get permission to revise the plan.”
According to what was said during the press conference, a master plan should be reviewed every five years as the dynamics of airports change.
As for SCAA board chairman Marlon Orr, he explained that the “master plan is derived by technicians and it is a specialised job. This plan has had different versions over the years, but the industry and the market change. Now it is time to review the plan according to the latest figures and facts we have gathered. Government has its vision for tourism to become the gateway for this country.”
PS Renaud then presented to the press the major components of the reviewed plan. “An airport master plan is a dynamic report where the components need to be reviewed. The principles of review will be to bring elements of phase 2 into phase 1 such as movement of the fuel tanks and sewage facilities; new passenger terminal building; new VIP complex, new general aviation (GA) terminal; new airport hotel; new cargo terminal and catering facility and new technical zone,” said PS Renaud.
Mr Renaud explained how the plan was supposed to be executed and was never done, thus creating lateness in having a proper airport facility. “Another major component that we needed to review is tourism growth to 2052. We surpassed the prediction done (as seen in the photo) and we have seen an increase in traffic movement at the airport. In the plan, we are also including the Praslin Ile de Palmes airport,” he said.
The reviewed plan will also include land for new aviation product, a marina/seaport at the end of zone 21. In order for all this to be done, investment required will be between US $50 million and US $100 million.
Minister Derjacques noted that they will require a few months to finalise the revised master plan before presenting it to the cabinet once again.
“For this project, the SCAA and the ministry will work on the different aspects. We will not dig in the consolidated fund but will look for investment from public/private enterprises. With this project we are heading towards a five-star facility,” said Minister Derjacques.
The airport was designed by the CPJ Corporation.
Seychelles NATION will publish another detailed article on the press conference in a future edition.
The accompanying photos show drawings on the master plan of 2009.
Vidya Gappy
