Reopening the gateways

Just as soon as capacity was nearly restored at Libya’s main airports following the lifting of the no-fly zone imposed back in March 2011, Tripoli International Airport was once again under siege.

This time, a rival Libyan militia group took over the airport in early June 2012, forcing the cancellation of all flights.

The occupation was short-lived and operations were soon restored but the event added ammunition to the belief by some that the resumption of air services after the civil war was hasty, and created concerns over safety and security.

Libya’s international traffic levels fell by more than one million passengers in 2011 compared to 2010, according to analysts CAPA. However, most international carriers have almost fully resumed services, including British Airways and Lufthansa, in the hope that the country will recover rapidly once oil production returns to pre-conflict levels and if security is restored.

TAV Construction formed a consortium with Lebanese and Brazilian business partners in Libya to undertake the construction of a new Tripoli Airport terminal building. “It has been half completed; construction was stopped in March 2011 due to the Libyan uprising,” said Ümit Kazak, general manager at TAV Construction.

The construction contract is valued at €1.5 billion and Kazak said once complete the new 4,000sqm terminal is expected to serve 20 million passengers annually. The facility will feature 160 check-in counters, 12 baggage handling carrousels and 32 fixed and 64 mobile passenger boarding bridges. Tripoli Airport was about 40% complete at the start of the conflict.

UK-based temporary works specialist RMD Kwikform was also working on Tripoli and Benghazi airports prior to the revolt and, like several other UK businesses, looked at the return to Libya from a practical basis since it was not immediately clear what kind of damage had been done. “What is clear is we see there is a major role for RMD Kwikform in the country moving forward,” said the company.

For RMD Kwikform the focus was on supplying formwork and falsework equipment and engineering support for the construction of the main terminal buildings, baggage-handling areas and in excess of 1km of utility tunnel running alongside the concourses.

Formwork can be best described as a structure that is usually temporary but can be whole or part permanent. It is used to contain poured concrete to mould it into required dimensions and support until it is able to support itself.

Falsework is a temporary structure used to support a permanent structure during the erection until it becomes self-supporting.

In fact, RMD Kwikform is supplying the majority of formwork and falsework to the project, including solutions for foundations, utility tunnels, walls, columns, beams and slabs.

RMD engineers first had to focus their attentions on the construction of the 162,000sqm terminal buildings and completion of the baggage-handling hall. The need to incorporate complex mechanical and electrical services made early completion of the 9.5m high baggage handling hall the most critical part of the project to date – however, it’s not immediately clear how much of this infrastructure survived the revolt.

Kazak said considering the recent political developments in Libya, the company is anticipating that the project will go on in near future. “As a matter of fact, we are in contact with the interim government in Libya regarding the recommencement of our project in the shortest time possible and the parties have mostly agreed upon the concerned road map. Ensured safety in the country is a vital factor for us regarding the future of the project,” he added.

Earlier this year, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the British Aviation Group hosted a conference in London that gave an overview of the condition and situation at the various Libyan airports – including the requirements and equipment needed.

The Libyan delegation included representatives from the Libyan Airports Authority and the four international airports, including Benghazi Benina International Airport general manger Gamal Saleh Said.

One of the two runways at Benghazi was reportedly destroyed during the unrest. During the conference Said mentioned a three-step plan to upgrade the airport for the short, immediate and long term. 

The long-term plans, according to Said, are for a new terminal at Benghazi designed by Aeroports de Paris, (ADPI) with a capacity for five million passengers per year within the first three to four years. Construction works on the new terminal were already underway but halted during the conflict.

There is considerable French interest in Libya. The French transport minister, Thierry Mariani, told a press conference recently: “Our mechanisms and airline companies will work to activate and rehabilitate Libyan aircraft. Tripoli International Airport will become a connecting link between Africa and Europe and the companies that were present in Libya will be activated and willing to operate again in the reconstruction of Libya.”

In 2008, Canadian company SNC-Lavalin was awarded a contract for terminal works, a new runway and apron at Benghazi, in a project valued at C$500 million. The company reports that it is monitoring the situation before returning to the project.

TAV is also involved in a joint venture with the Consolidated Contractors Group (CCC) in the expansion of Sabha International Airport, a project which, prior to the uprising, was due to be completed by 2013. TAV remains optimistic that this work will resume. It will have a capacity of three million passengers and, like the new terminals at Tripoli and Benina International, will be designed by ADPI.

While airlines have taken a much quicker pace at reinstating operations in and out of Libya, it’s clear that airport developers and other infrastructure-related firms are taking a cautious view on a speedy return.  However, oil will prove to be a magnet for foreign investment and considering the turn out at the recent UKTI Libya conference there will be many foreign interests ready to invest in capital works – and a substantial part of these will almost certainly be in aviation infrastructure.

Kazak stressed that safety is paramount and the key factor in ensuring the successful completion of current projects in the North African country. “We hope that our roadmap will be clarified in accordance with the developments in 2012. We will keep on taking the necessary steps to proceed with our project in a positive manner,” he concluded.