Freetown airport concession: what is public about the Summa deal

What the public record shows

The Sierra Leone Telegraph, as reported by Abdul Rashid Thomas, named the agreement as the Build Operate Transfer Agreement for the Construction, Financing and Concession of Freetown International Airport ¹. It is dated 12 November 2020 and Parliament ratified it on 16 December 2020 ¹. On 11 May 2021 Parliament debated and ratified amendments meant to remove ambiguities, presented by Deputy Minister Rex Bhonopha ⁴. That report did not say which provisions changed ⁴.

In March 2022 the same paper reported that the government had not fully disclosed the terms ⁷. A press release on Runway Girl Network in March 2023 said Summa paid the construction costs and has the right to run the airport for 25 years before ownership passes to the government ⁶. The full agreement was not found online for this page.

Who does what

The Sierra Leone Airports Authority says SUMMA Group won the contract through a competitive bidding process and manages the operation of Freetown International Airport ³. It says the agreement limits the Authority to air navigation services and airport operational compliance ³. That page was last modified on 26 May 2025 ³.

A public information summary from the US International Development Finance Corporation, which carries no date, gives more detail on roles ⁵.

• The Airports Authority continues to run the air traffic control tower ⁵
• The Sierra Leone Maritime Administration has a memorandum of understanding for aircraft emergencies in coastal waters ⁵
• A third party will run the new fuel farm under a sub-concession at handover ⁵
• The regulator's functions under the Civil Aviation Act 2023 include making aerodrome operators and concessionaires abide by environmental laws, section 15(2)(cc) ⁹
• The regulator certifies aerodromes under section 15(2)(u) of the same Act ⁹

The handover in January 2023

The Ministry of Transport and Aviation announced in a public notice that Summa Airport Sierra Leone Limited would take over operations and management of the airport from Friday 20 January 2023, the Sierra Leone Telegraph reported ². An editor's note in that report said staff received termination letters 24 hours before the takeover ².

In the December 2020 debate, Chief Whip Dickson Rogers said no Authority staff would be laid off ¹. No official figure on staff moved, kept or let go was found.

Money and financing

At the November 2020 groundbreaking, Dr John Tambi, who chaired the government's infrastructure development office, said the project would be carried out off the government's balance sheet, without loans or debt, as reported by the Sierra Leone Telegraph ¹. President Bio gave the cost as US$270 million ¹. The DFC summary describes a proposed loan of US$150 million to Summa Airports (SL) Limited and all-source funding of US$281.5 million ⁵. It rates the project environmental Category B and expects over 600 permanent jobs ⁵.

The Airports Authority says it receives no government subvention and may levy charges on users of airport facilities and services ³. Its 22 September 2026 note on its FY2027 budget lists priorities in training, safety management and air navigation, with no figures ⁸.

Views in the ratification debate

The Sierra Leone Telegraph reported the views of MPs in the December 2020 ratification debate ¹.

• Dr Roland Kargbo called it a fine agreement but criticised what he called a large concession waiver and the cost ¹
• Abdul Kargbo supported it but asked for a review of the fiscal impact on government and aviation agencies ¹
• Charles Conteh said the expansion was not viable and listed impediments in the agreement ¹
• Ambrose Maada Lebby, chair of the Transport and Aviation Committee, said a unit would monitor operations ¹

What is not public

This site did not find published figures for any revenue share, concession fee or minimum payment to the state ^1,7. It did not find which passenger or cargo charges Summa sets or keeps, the performance standards in the deal, or the terms for early termination ^2,7. No Audit Service Sierra Leone finding on the concession was found by 24 October 2026.