Since 1975, the Moroccan Ministry of Equipment and Transport has undertaken several extension and modernisation operations of the airport infrastructure in the Sahara region so as to adapt them to the needs of Sahrawi citizens.
Thanks to air transport, the supplying of people with essential goods was secured (food, medicine, supplies). It has also facilitated managers ‘travel (doctors, engineers, teachers, civil servants, technicians) whose presence was necessary to carry out development efforts.
Consequently, the achievements carried out between 1975 and 2006 are manifested as follows:
Hassan I airport in Laâyoune:
|
Works Description |
Amount |
| 1977 |
Reparation of the old road 2.400 m X 50 m and its lane |
MAD 5 million |
| 1978 |
Power station and plane park lighting |
MAD 3 million |
|
1981
Stage1 |
Construction of a new track of 2.700 m X 45 m for the reception of all the types of planes |
MAD 50 million |
|
Stage 2
|
Construction of lanes of 7.100 m X 23 m connecting the two take-off runways and parking spaces
|
|
| 1975-1982 |
Installation of various assistance navigation equipment of to and equipment and air terminal equipment
1975-1982 |
21 million |
1985
Stage 1 |
Extension of parking spaces reserved to commercial aviation amounting to 17.080 meter square increasing their capacity to 5 stations for standard four-jet aircraft B. 747
|
7 million |
| Stage 2 |
Construction of passengers’ air terminal conceived to host 500.000 passengers per year on a surface of 5 500 meter square divided into 2 levels: ground floor 4.000 meter square and flat 1.500 meter square. |
26 million |
|
Stage 3
|
Construction of general average buildings and freight on a surface of 1.200 m² for assistance operations to planes, freight treatment and air terminal technical services. |
|
| 2001 |
Renewal of boundary light take-off runway |
4 million |
|
2003-2006
Stage 1 |
Reinforcement of take-off runway, principal slip road, parallel taxiway and plane parking |
32 million |
| Stage 2 |
Reinforcement and heightening of the fence and construction of covered road |
14 million |
| Stage 3 |
Renewal of control tower equipment |
6 million
|
| Stage 4 |
Renewal of aerial navigation assistance equipment |
20 million |
| Stage 5 |
Security Equipment |
2,5 million |
Dakhla Airport:
| Year |
Works Description |
Amount |
| 1981 |
Construction of a new track : 3.000 m X 45 m, main access road, parking space able to receive 3 medium haul planes simultaneously: |
MAD 40 million |
| 1983 |
Setting up of runway and lane boundary lights |
MAD 4 million |
| 2001-2002 |
VOR and DME equipment |
MAD 7.5 million |
2004
Stage 1 |
Development and extension of the existing reception building.
|
MAD 1 million |
| Stage 2 |
Renewal of tower control equipment |
MAD 6 million |
2005
Stage 1 |
Reinforcement of track, access road and planes parking MAD 18 million |
MAD 18 million |
| Stage 2 |
Reinforcement and heightening of domanial fence |
MAD 5 million |
| 2006-2007 |
Construction of a new 3.500 meter square air terminal zone for passengers, technical block, control tower, various buildings, car park and access road. |
MAD 100 million |
Smara Airport :
| Year |
Works Description
|
Amount |
| Since 1977 |
Construction of a 1.700 m length take-off runway over 33,60m |
MAD 21,5 million |
|
Lengthening of take-off runway by 1.300 m increasing it to 3000 m |
|
|
Construction of a traffic area (230 m X 80 m) Construction of an access road 100 m X 15 m |
|
The following table presents the main traffic airports in the Sahara region on 31 December 2005 in terms of arrivals, departures, transit and freight:
|
Airports |
Plane movement |
Passengers |
Freight (tons) |
|
Laâyoune |
3 558 |
76 646 |
474 |
|
Dakhla |
674 |
21 442 |
61 |
Map illustrating airports:
Source : Office National Des Aéroports (2007)