ABD pumps $70m into Senegal airport

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a €70m loan to finance construction of a new airport in Senegal.

The Blaise Diagne International Airport will be located 45km east of Dakar and is estimated to cost €525m, of which €379m will be financed with senior loans.

Both the AfDB and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) also acted as Mandated Lead Arrangers (MLA) for the conventional senior loans of over €220m.

The new airport will have a 3 million annual passenger capacity and 80,000 aircraft movements, which will relieve the air and road congestion at the existing Dakar airport.

The project is the second Public-Private Partnership project in Senegal financed by AfDB after the Dakar Toll Road during the second quarter of 2010.