Seychelles International Airport was opened on March 20, 1972 by Queen Elizabeth II during the British colonial era. (Gerard Larose)

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(Seychelles News Agency) – On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the opening of Seychelles International Airport At Pointe Larue, a major upgrade has been designed to accommodate increased traffic at the airport, a senior government official said on Friday.

A 2009 revision airport master plan was recently approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, paving the way for major development and expansion of the airport.

The plan was designed by Singapore-based CPJ Corporation, which also worked on Singapore’s award-winning Changi Airport.

“We recognized in 2009 that aviation in Seychelles was going to expand and so a plan was put in place to develop the airport, as it approached the next 40 or 50 years,” said Garry Albert, Managing Director. of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA).

Albert said the previous master plan did not materialize due to financial reasons, however, the need to develop the airport became more evident.

“One of the main issues we are facing at the moment is aircraft parking. We have around five to six parking spaces, but with the increasing size of aircraft using our facilities, we can only take three aircraft at a time. times and very often we find ourselves having to ask private jets to drop off customers and leave,” Albert said.

In a presentation on Friday, Principal Civil Aviation Secretary Alan Renaud shared the features they expect to retain from the 2009 master plan as they work on the new one.

The 2009 plan was based on the date and forecasts made during that time. (Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority) Photo License: CC-BY

It includes a larger passenger terminal, an airport hotel, the relocation of the fuel park and sewage facilities, a new cargo terminal, a new VIP complex and a technical area.

“The 2009 plan was based on the date and forecasts made at that time, but a lot has progressed well beyond expectations and that means these new developments need to be taken into account if we are to redevelop the airport in right now,” said Renaud.

Renaud said forecast tourist arrivals for 2019 were around 280,000, but actual figures show that in this year, the pre-pandemic era, there were more than 460,000 arrivals to the international airport.

The new master plan will now have to take into account these new figures, developments and technologies to create an airport capable of carrying the progress of Seychelles in the next 50 years, he added.

Seychelles International Airport was opened on March 20, 1972 by Queen Elizabeth II during the British colonial era. Over the years, several developments have been made to keep up with international standards and cater to the growing number of airlines and visitors entering the archipelago from the western Indian Ocean.