■ TOGO: Lomé-Tokoin Airport upgrade works to be completed next year; opening due in 4Q 2014.

Expansion works at Lomé's Tokoin Airport, also known as l’Aéroport International Gnassingbé Eyadèma (AIGE), are expected to be completed within a year with an official opening scheduled for December 2014, Colonel Gnama Latta, the Director General of Togo's civil aviation authority l'Agence Nationale de l'Aviation Civile du Togo (ANAC), has said.

New Terminal at Lomé Tokoin
(TogoleseGovernment)

Speaking to the Togolese press during an on-site inspection of the works, Colonel Latta said the project was progressing well with the airport's passenger handling capacity to rise from the current 500'000/annum, to 1.5/2million pax/annum once the job is completed.

Built by the China Airport Construction Group Corporation (CACC) in conjunction with WIETEC, and funded by a USD150million low-interest loan from the Chinese Export-Import Bank (ExIm Bank), the project will include a new 21'000sqm passenger terminal, 3 aerobridges, and a secondary taxiway. The old passenger terminal is expected to be converted into a shopping centre and a hotel.

In light of ASKY (KP) and Ethiopian Airlines' (ET) recent announcement pertaining to the establishment of a West African cargo hub at the airport, the existing cargo terminal is also being upgraded to handle 50'000 tonnes per year against the previous 10'000 tons.

In his recent presentation of the airline's financial results, Ethiopian Airlines President and CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, commended the airline's West African subsidiary ASKY Airlines (a 40/60 venture with the Togolese Government) with it expected to break even and make a profit this year.