BrazilGroupe ADP wins airport contracts across Africa
ADP Ingenierie, the engineering consulting branch of airport operations firm Groupe ADP, has won a series of contracts spanning the African continent. The subsidiary is now responsible for the construction of 9 airports across five countries, including Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Benin Republic, and Senegal.
Groupe ADP is a French firm with an expertise in design and logistics, and with a specific focus on ariports. The firm owns and operates three airports in Paris, namely Charles de Gaulle, Orly, and Le Bourget, which were recently clubbed under the same brand titled Paris Aéroport. In 2016, the firm generated revenues of approximately $3 billion, processing 245 million passengers through 26 airports across the world.
Having processed nearly 100 million passengers and 2.2 million metric tonnes of freight and mail in Paris alone, the firm’s flagship project – Charles de Gaulle – was ranked first in Europe for cargo and second for the number of passengers in 2016.
The firm’s design and infrastructure operations are handled primarily by its engineering consulting subsidiary, ADP Ingénierie. The consulting firm operates with 400 professionals across 17 countries, providing services such as auditing, diagnostic testing, feasibility studies, site selection, and many others.
Now, the firm has won a stream of contracts, spanning countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. Internationally, the firm has won a total of eleven contracts, five of which are in Africa.
The projects
In Botswana, the firm will be assisting with the construction of Francistown International Airport, situated in the second largest city in the country. Alongside creating a blueprint for the project, the firm will supervise the investment proposals and the organisation of the airport for the next thirty years.
In Kenya, the firm has been awarded an expansion assignment for the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. In essence, the airport requires a new passenger terminal, which involves an expansion of 115,000 square metres and the merger of three satellite buildings, with the hope of increasing the capacity by more than 4 million passengers. ADP is responsible for the architecture (both interior and exterior) of the new area.
The project in Mozambique, which is perhaps the biggest in terms of scale, was awarded to ADP after a competitive bidding process. The project involves designing blueprints for as many as five airports across the country, including one in the capital, Maputo. Meanwhile, the firm will manage the construction of a new international airport in Cotonou in Benin Republic, with an anticipated annual capacity of 2 million passengers by 2030.
In Senegal, the firm is responsible for technical studies and construction tenders for a maintenance centre on site for the Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar.
Commenting on the new projects, Gratien Maire, CEO of ADP said, “"the recognition of our company's 360° expertise all along the airport value chain as the air traffic is increasing and the reinforcement of our geographic proximity with the clients due to our recent reorganization and almost the passionate commitment of all employees brings already promising fruit.”
The wave of new projects comes amid the realisation of a major investment gap in infrastructure on the continent and the consequent wave of foreign investment in the sector.
