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The Presiden's visit to South Korea
In order to further his objective of diversifying the Gabonese economy, the President Omar Bongo Ondimba travelled to South Korea where he met the Korean President, Moo-hyun Roh. The two men expressed their intention of giving a new impetus to cooperation between Gabon and Korea. To this end, an agreement concerning the promotion and production of investments was signed by the two countries.

The Head of State Omar Bongo Ondimba also met with Korean businessmen and property developers in order to present to them the key investment sectors in Gabon. Korea has an interest in the mining sector, oil production, road infrastructure and social housing, but also in the construction of the new airport at Libreville.

For the Head of State is in fact planning to build a new, modern airport, that complies with current international norms, to relieve traffic intensity at the current Libreville airport and receive the new cargo aircraft. He also paid a visit to the managers of Incheon airport who had expressed the wish to become involved in the project as partners.

  Comment: Lazo Habourneur
A day of excursions for Head of State Omar Bongo Ondimba. The President of the Republic visited Incheon International Airport in person and was welcomed by the principal person in charge of IIA (Incheon International Airport).

This was an opportunity for the principal manager of the Korean airport infrastructure to express his wish for Incheon to take part in the construction of the new Libreville airport. A team of experts intends to travel to Libreville to assess security requirements. To demonstrate the company's professionalism in which they pride themselves, the Incheon authorities proceeded to present their flagship. Of course, all the superlatives apply. Incheon International Airport has the vocation of being Korea's global portal and pride.

It is true that the aim here, for the company's management team, is to turn the IIA into the number 1 airport in the world in terms of services, as indeed it has been for the past two years running. To date, it has pulled itself up to 2nd position in the world in international airfreight handling and 10th in terms of passenger transport. Turnover this year reached $20 billion, which is approximately XAF100 billion. The goal they have in the background, as we understand it, and as they intimated, is to become the global number 1 by 2010.

Turn the airport into a veritable hub. A training centre compliant with international standards will be set up. A film was shown on the occasion. This airport infrastructure is a work in progress. The part that is visible today constitutes the first phase. The second phase is scheduled to be carried out before the 2008 Peking Olympics. Minister Pierre Claver Maganga Moussavou expressed the intention of turning Libreville airport into a Central African hub. If Incheon is involved in the construction, beyond the shadow of a doubt, said the Company's Chairman, the new airport will have the same configuration and the Minister of Public Works, Idriss Ngari will be able to turn it into a hub on an African scale. From this point of view, a specifications document will be provided. The works will be monitored by the two parties.

At this point, a tour of the site was a requisite.

First stop: the President of the Republic was able to appreciate the layout of retail outlets, the security of border controls, and the spacious hallway. In total, the overall design of the airport, with its security dispositions, provides a space that speaks volumes, allowing easy identification in the event of any type of minor incident.

The second stage of this field visit: the tarmac, with a panoramic view of the runways for takeoff and landing. The space is promising, because this is in fact only the first phase. The next phase will be a passenger terminal estimated at $4 million. The next stage of the visit was the control room. Security is a word dear to President Omar Bongo Ondimba. The airport and approach routes are visible on screen. No part of the airport escapes this service, including the aircraft themselves. Yes, security in full scale: with 1,400 cameras in place around the airport perimeter. Lastly, freight, with 2 million tonnes transported in 2006 and the outlook for 2030 at 9 million tonnes.

(Report broadcast on RTG1 - Comments: Lazo Habourneur - Editing: Ntsam Eyogho - Images: Irénée Avouma)






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