Blaise Diagne Airport Expansion: A Structuring Project for Air Freight

A new cargo terminal to support growth

On February 11, 2025, Senegal’s Agence nationale de l’aviation civile et de la météorologie (ANACIM) unveiled the master plan for a new cargo terminal at Blaise Diagne International Airport, in response to increasing air traffic. Work will start in 2026, with commissioning scheduled for 2028.

Modern infrastructure to meet demand

The new facility will include warehousing facilities capable of handling up to 80,000 tonnes of freight per year. It is part of an overall airport modernization program, which also includes the expansion of the passenger terminal and the construction of an aircraft maintenance and repair (MRO) center.

A necessity in the face of infrastructure saturation

In 2024, Blaise Diagne airport welcomed almost 2.93 million passengers and handled 39,922 tonnes of freight, almost reaching its maximum capacity (3 million passengers and 50,000 tonnes of freight). Expansion is therefore essential to support the sector’s growth.

A booming air freight market

The boom in e-commerce since the Covid-19 pandemic has stimulated the development of air freight. A study by Business Research Insight estimates that the value of the global air freight market will rise from 0.74 billion USD to 0.92 billion USD by 2032, with an annual growth rate of 2.4%.

Conclusion: A strategic project for Senegal

The construction of this new cargo terminal reinforces Blaise Diagne airport’s position as a logistics hub in West Africa. The project meets both the challenges of air traffic growth and the growing needs of economic operators.