• Project will add new terminal for 1 million passengers and expanded freight facilities.
• Contract awarded via EPC+F model; financing terms not disclosed.
• Selection process sparks questions over transparency and competitive bidding.

Turkish construction firm Summa has begun work to modernise Luano International Airport in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, in a project aimed at boosting passenger and cargo capacity, officials said on Wednesday.

The ground-breaking ceremony was held on June 26 during a site visit by Haut-Katanga governor Jacques Kyabula and provincial transport minister Lorraine Lusamba. The project follows an April 18 launch by President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi, despite public criticism over a lack of disclosure about contract details and partner selection.

In a May statement, the transport ministry said a memorandum of understanding had been signed with Summa on March 12, citing innovative financing, an accelerated timeline, and the company’s international track record as justification for the choice. However, authorities did not clarify whether a competitive tender was held.

Under the EPC+F (Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing) model, Summa will design, build, and pre-finance the project, handing it over to the Congolese state upon completion. The government will then manage the airport and gradually repay the company, though repayment terms have not been published.

The upgrade includes an 8,000 sq m terminal designed to handle up to 1 million passengers per year, parking for four wide-body aircraft, a 5,000-tonne cargo terminal, a maintenance centre, storage hangar, wastewater treatment plant, and upgraded access roads and fire safety systems.

Per the contract’s terms, the works should take 20 months, but Summa says it will do it in 18 months, in line with the government’s push to accelerate major infrastructure projects, according to the transport ministry.

Founded by Mete Bora in 1989, Summa is controlled by Selim and Sinan Bora, who hold, respectively, 42.41 and 41.22% of the company according to the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The firm has delivered projects in nine African countries, including airports in Dakar, Niamey, and Bissau.

Summa has already made headlines in the DRC. The contract to build the Kinshasa arena, signed in July 2022, was withdrawn in favor of Milvest, considered more competitive, according to former Finance Minister Nicolas Kazadi.

This type of contract is preferred by Summa for its African projects. According to the group, it overcomes one of the main challenges encountered on the continent: the imbalance between the execution of works and the disbursement of funds.

This article was initially published in French by Timothée Manoke (intern)

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho