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(����) - The Cabinet of Ministers has requested further exploration of other options for certain infrastructures and the financial plan of the proposed masterplan on the redevelopment of the Seychelles International Airport presented in June.

The Minister for Transport, Antony Derjacques, made the statement on Tuesday when answering a private notice question from the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Sebastien Pillay.

Derjacques said, "The masterplan allows us to understand all the aviation infrastructures that our airport will need in the next 30 years. It includes all necessary structures like tourism forecast, how many, and what type of planes will be using the airport. This will allow us to know the dimensions of new infrastructures correctly."   

He said the masterplan has been completed and the last presentation was made to the Cabinet on June 26, but the Cabinet still had some reservations on certain infrastructures and the financial plans.

"The funding that we need and the type of funding we will get into this has not been finalised. Analyses are still being done and they are all confidential because we are still discussing with several partners," explained Derjacques.

He added the moment the Cabinet approves the masterplan and its associated costs, including the financial plan to be used, the information will be given to the members of the public and the National Assembly.

Derjacques said that although the financial plan has not been finalised to complete the master plan, "there are many groups that want to invest and the Cabinet has asked the ministry to discuss and bring the options in the last and final presentations to the Cabinet."

The major upgrade for the Seychelles International Airport to accommodate the increase in traffic was unveiled in 2022 by Garry Albert, chief executive of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), on the 50th anniversary of the airport's existence.

In November 2022, EGIS Emirates was appointed to review and prepare an updated 30-year airport master plan for the Seychelles International Airport.

The selection of EGIS Emirates, a global consulting, construction engineering, and operating firm, was completed through a request for proposal through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), SCAA, and the Ministry of Transport.

In May last year, President Wavel Ramkalawan concluded a meeting in Abu Dhabi for the airport and Port Victoria projects.