Lomé Airport Marks 10 Years With Expansion Plans as Traffic Nears Capacity

Transport

Monday, 20 April 2026 12:48

Lomé Airport Marks 10 Years With Expansion Plans as Traffic Nears Capacity

(Togo First) - Gnassingbé Eyadema International Airport (AIGE) in Lomé is marking the 10th anniversary of its new terminal, which opened in 2016. Over the past decade, the airport has developed into a key sub-regional transit hub, supported by rising passenger traffic and increased flight operations.

Growth has accelerated in recent years. Passenger numbers have doubled over five years to around 1.6 million annually, nearing the terminal’s design capacity of 2 million passengers per year.

This expansion has been driven in part by Lomé-based ASKY Airlines, which operates an extensive regional network with dozens of daily flights.

While transit passengers account for a significant share of traffic, cargo volumes and aircraft movements have also increased, according to the airport operator.

Expansion Plans

Airport authorities are now considering a new phase of investment to keep pace with traffic growth. Plans include expanding the existing terminal as well as developing a new terminal to meet future demand.

A hotel project is also planned, with a 165-room DoubleTree by Hilton expected to serve transit passengers and enhance the airport’s service offering.

Over the longer term, AIGE aims to handle 5 million passengers by 2045. Achieving this target will require a significant expansion of infrastructure and a stronger position as a regional hub.

Ten years after opening, the Lomé terminal has reached a more mature stage. The challenge for authorities is now to manage rising traffic while maintaining competitiveness in an increasingly crowded regional market.

To mark the anniversary on April 25, 2026, Société Aéroportuaire de Lomé-Tokoin (SALT) launched the “Aéro Festival” on Thursday, April 16, in Lomé. The initiative, organized in collaboration with the transport ministry, is intended to highlight progress made over the past decade. The festival runs through May 2 and includes educational, cultural, sports and social activities.

R.E.D

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.