The Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority has reacted to the news of a certain company’s plan to construct of an international airport in Bo City.

20th October, 2021 – The attention of the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority has been drawn to a video making rounds on social media, revealing therein that a specific company has embarked on site clearing at Bandajuma and Nyandehun Chiefdoms along the Bo-Kenema Highway for the construction of an international airport for commercial flight operations.

The Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority is the only competent body established by an Act of Parliament to advise the Government of Sierra Leone and provide oversight in the aviation industry. While the Authority notes that Section 98 of the Civil Aviation Act, 2019, gives everyone the right to establish an Aerodrome, Section 99 of the same Act; however, requires that the person holds a Certificate issued for that purpose by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Section 100 further confirms that a person shall not establish an Aerodrome for public use unless an Aerodrome Certificate for that Aerodrome has been issued by the SLCAA.

Relative to the above provisions, the SLCAA further informs that it would grant the authorization only if the Aerodrome facilities, equipment and Aerodrome Manual are in compliance with the Civil Aviation Act, 2019 and the Standards And Recommended Practices (SARPs).

In light of the foregoing, the CAA advises any company engaged in the said clearing and/or construction to desist forthwith and follow due process. The CAA wishes it to be known that its doors are wide-open to all who seek to invest in the industry.