Freetown, Sierra Leone – The General Manager of the Sierra Leone Airport Authority, Jack Massaquoi, has confirmed reports of theft at the now-abandoned Freetown International Airport in Lungi.
The confirmation came during a session with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Parliament on August 13, 2024.
Massaquoi was summoned to Parliament after Opposition Leader Hon. Abdul Kargbo raised concerns about the looting at the former airport. During the hearing, Hon. Aaron Koroma pressed Massaquoi on the specifics of the theft, particularly regarding the disappearance of property from the site.
Massaquoi acknowledged that theft had indeed occurred and revealed that arrests had been made in connection with the incidents.
Hon. Kargbo expressed concern over the loss of critical infrastructure, including the airport’s control tower, televisions, and air conditioning units.
He noted that the old control tower, once a vital part of the airport’s operations, is now completely empty, despite the government’s recent investment in a new control tower at the modernized airport.
The Freetown International Airport in Lungi, originally constructed by the British Royal Air Force in 1945 as a military base during World War II, served as Sierra Leone’s primary international gateway until a new facility was inaugurated last year. There has been speculation about repurposing the old airport for military use or converting it into an ECOWAS aircraft maintenance site.
