The Government of the Republic of Mali (GRM) is launching procurement of a private concessionaire for Mali’s main airport at Bamako-Sénou. The concession will build on MCC’s $179 million Compact investment in “airside” infrastructure including a runway extension, “landside” infrastructure including a new terminal, and institutional capacity.

The airport concession will leverage MCC Compact funding through private co-financing of complementary assets, rehabilitation, and added capacity. It will enhance the sustainability of Compact funding through private operation of the airport on a performance basis for a term of 30 years.

The opportunity for airport operators is unique. Bamako-Sénou Airport is positioned geographically to become a major air travel hub for West Africa. Already, seventeen regional and international carriers service Bamako from or to 28 different destinations. The compound annual growth rate for passenger traffic from 2003 to 2008 was 8.2 percent, with 628,000 passengers in 2008. This is only the second airport concession in Africa since 2001, but at least the tenth since 1994.

To launch the procurement process, GRM has published an Information Memorandum that defines this private concession opportunity in detail. At the same time, GRM has posted a pre-qualification notice as the first step in the procurement process. MCC encourages airport operators to participate in the bidding process.