Libreville Airport in Gabon (GSEZ Airport) awards long-term concession to Lagardère Travel Retail

GSEZ Airport, a subsidiary of Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ) – a public-private partnership between Olam International, the Gabonese Republic and Africa Finance Corporation – announces the signing of a service agreement with Lagardère Travel Retail, to operate at Libreville Leon Mba international airport.

Lagardère Travel Retail will have the exclusive right to operate over 600 sqm of retail and food.

Lagardère Travel Retail operates in 240 airports in 34 countries, among which some of the world’s largest international airports – Paris, Rome, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, Dubai and Dakar.

The collaboration between GSEZ and Lagardère Travel Retail will provide both Libreville and Gabon with world-class international concepts AELIA DUTY FREE and RELAY, which will significantly improve passenger experience and diversify the offer within the airport.

The AELIA DUTY FREE shops, scheduled to open in the Spring of 2019, will offer a broad range of local brands and products in addition to the wide range of international brands. Two RELAY shops, due to open simultaneously, will offer the full range of travel essentials – press, magazines and books, food & beverage, high-tech accessories, hygiene products, as well as gifts & souvenirs.

During the Summer of 2019, Lagardère Travel Retail will also open a restaurant to satisfy the needs of passengers in search of a quality international cuisine. Lagardère Travel Retail will open renovated shops in the current Leon Mba airport managed by GSEZ Airport since October 2018. A new airport, due to open by 2021, will turn Libreville into a true regional hub.

The new airport will cover an area of 12 square kilometers with a built area of 35,000 sqm on three floors, and a capacity of 2 million passengers a year in the first phase of its implementation. The space allocated to Lagardère Travel Retail in the new airport will be over 1,000 sqm.

“Our priority is to improve the quality of service and the shopping experience of our passengers. The new space developed by Lagardère Travel Retail will enable us to create a best-in-class commercial environment within the existing airport, before building an extended commercial area in the new airport”, said Indranil Gupta, the Director of the Airport.

“This contract follows our first experience on the African continent in December 2017 in Senegal. It is a very important step in Lagardère Travel Retail’s journey towards new successes in Africa. We have demonstrated our ability to bring the best international operational standards to Africa, while developing a very strong and successful local offer. We are very proud and excited about this new opportunity in Gabon.”, added Frédéric Chevalier, Chief Operating Officer EMEA, Lagardère Travel Retail.