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Projects •Technical services agreement at AAKIA Airport

Technical services agreement at AAKIA Airport.

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Egis has supported Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA) in Zanzibar with customised, flexible, and effective airport management and operations services.

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Client

Zanzibar Airports Authority (ZAA)

Timeline

December 2021 – Ongoing

Environmental benefit

Since February 2025, Egis has supported the airport in implementing a waste management and recycling programme in partnership with local firms. In just three months, 26 tonnes of waste were recycled, preventing the emission of 79 tonnes of CO2.

Zanzibar: a rising star among leisure destinations in Africa.

+15.4%passenger growth

(2023–2024, Zanzibar Tourism Commission)

98%of visitors

come for leisure and holidays

+24%compound annual growth rate

of visitors from the Americas (2019-2023)

The challenge.

Enhancing service quality and operational performance at the airport

Located on Unguja Island, Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA) serves one of Africa’s most beautiful destinations in the Indian Ocean. In 2024, over 730,000 people visited the Zanzibar archipelago, primarily European tourists, followed by travellers from the African continent. Known for its beaches, culinary diversity, and rich cultural heritage, Zanzibar is a premier leisure destination.

AAKIA is the main gateway to the archipelago, handling over two million passengers in 2024, with flights to 30 destinations operated by 26 airlines.

In 2021, Zanzibar Airports Authority (ZAA) sought help with achieving several strategic goals amid annual traffic growth of around 12%:

Modernise infrastructure
Improve service quality for airlines and passengers
Enhance operational efficiency
Strengthen compliance with international standards
Optimise profitability

Alongside the appointment of dnata as the new ground handling operator at Terminal 3, ZAA awarded Egis and its joint venture SEGAP¹ a technical assistance contract to support its strategic and operational performance improvement objectives.

Imagine.

Tailored support aligned with the airport operator’s priorities

The Technical Services Agreement (TSA) established under this initiative covers AAKIA Airport, Pemba Airport in the north of the archipelago, as well as Nungwi Airstrip.

The agreement is designed to support the Zanzibar Airports Authority (ZAA) over a ten-year period across all areas of airport operations: operational and financial performance, technical and maintenance services, safety and security, process improvement, commercial development, and capacity building for airport personnel.

As part of the TSA, Egis has deployed local experts to Zanzibar who work in close coordination with specialists based at Egis offices, together fostering the transfer of knowledge and skills. This collaborative approach promotes the exchange of ideas and best practices, directly supporting the operational teams and contributing to the airport’s performance and development.

The aim is to provide ZAA with a fully bespoke support solution, both strategic and operational, with a tangible, measurable impact on day-to-day airport management. The objective is not to replace existing airport teams or assume responsibility for running the airport, but rather to work alongside them on a defined set of priorities identified at the outset and refined throughout the duration of the contract.

Unlike a concession agreement, this model offers a more flexible and cost-effective framework, enabling trust to be built with the airport operator over time. Egis has successfully implemented this type of technical assistance contract at other airports—such as Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe—though limited to engineering services. In Zanzibar, this is the first time such an agreement has been applied to operational and airport management activities.

AAKIA Airport Zanzibar Photo Rob Williams

Aerial view of Terminal 1 at Zanzibar AAKIA

City-side view of Terminal 1 at AAKIA

Terminal and control tower at Pemba Airport

Create.

Thirty performance indicators driving concrete improvements

Egis’ added value lies in its dual expertise in engineering and operations, its deep understanding of the African context and the skills of its experts. We have been a shareholder and operator of Abidjan’s FHB Airport in Côte d’Ivoire for nearly 30 years through the AERIA concession company. We also operate Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Ollombo airports in Congo through AERCO.

This highly relevant mix of experience and expertise enabled us to step up quickly and identify the priorities for action.

In 2022, Egis began its support to the local AAKIA teams by deploying on-site operational and technical experts in deputy director, technical, operations management and compliance roles. Initially, three staff members and one expert were assigned to the TSA, tailored to the issues to be addressed, with a fourth added in 2023.

Sharing best practice from around the Egis network:

Tim Coole, a safety expert based at Tahiti-Faa’a Airport), who conducted a detailed audit of the firefighting and rescue services.
Martial Sauthat, Director of Brazzaville Airport advised on actions arising from the emergency exercises undertaken in 2022.
Aris Hadjigeorgiou, one of our operations experts with experience at various airports (Cyprus, Congo and French Polynesia), took on the activities of the deputy general manager.
Jean-Marc Ducasse (Technical Director of Congo Airports) was consulted on maintenance and other general management plans and activities.
Kashmira Tolmare, an airline development expert for all Egis airports, advised on activities to strengthen connectivity.

Thirty key performance indicators (KPIs) were defined in 2022 and are reviewed annually. They can be re-evaluated and amended in line with the airport's evolving priorities. Some activities initiated in 2022 have continued for several years. Most activities focus on AAKIA and include:

Operational & financial performance

Aerodrome manual review and support
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) drafting
Full-scale emergency drills as part of a risk management plan, particularly concerning natural hazards (e.g., flood risk)
Approach lighting upgrade from Simplified Airfield Lighting System (SALS) to Cat I
Safety audits and Safety Management System (SMS) definition
Wildlife hazard management plan
Safety training for 80 employees
Service level agreements with ground handling providers

Technical services & maintenance

Preventive maintenance programme for infrastructure and systems
Implementation of Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS) aligned with international standards

Commercial development

Airline business cases and route development, commercial representation at trade events dedicated to route development
Air service development strategy
Benchmarking with regional and global peer airports
Deployment of AirLink operational database for improved CDM (Collaborative Decision Making) between marshallers, the operations centre and the commercial department, particularly with regard to statistics and airline invoicing
Passenger satisfaction survey and ACI’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) programme enrolment

Staff capacity building

ICAO security audit awareness
Passenger service training and customer service manager appointments.

A large number of activities have been carried out that are not linked to KPIs. These activities cover a wide range of subjects related to the airport's strategic aspects and day-to-day operations. They have included:

Stakeholder coordination
Equipment management (signage, baggage screening)
Transition support for new processes (especially at T3)
Ongoing/future projects at AAKIA (T4 design review, T2 modernisation, T3 expansion, conversion of the general aviation terminal into a domestic terminal, relocation of the control tower, apron extension), Pemba (T1 modernisation) and Nungwi (airstrip development)
Facility use and management (currency exchange, retail, border control)
Operational efficiency (passenger queues, aircraft stand allocation, slot management)
Organisational efficiency (CMMS implementation)
Safety and security (movement area risk assessments, runway inspections, security committee creation)
Passenger services
Waste management and recycling, including the collection of food waste, plastics, glass, cans, cardboard and paper, which are then transformed and processed by local companies).

Achieve.

A growing airport recognised by international awards

Building on this synergy of expertise and bespoke services, AAKIA Airport continues to grow while strengthening its compliance, efficiency, and overall appeal. The combined efforts of the airport’s staff and Egis have led to several key advancements and successes.

In terms of safety, emergency drills carried out in 2022 and 2023 resulted in the resolution of non-conformities, paving the way for the renewal of the aerodrome certificate under International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards. The ICAO Safety Audit, conducted in April 2023, with a score of 86.9/100, ranked Tanzania and Zanzibar 4th in Africa behind Nigeria and South Africa.

In 2023, the airport was awarded the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award for Best Airport in Africa under 2 million passengers. This recognition reflects the measures implemented to enhance the passenger experience. The opening of Terminal 3, operated by dnata and Emirates Leisure Retail, played a significant role in improving service quality.

Driven by Egis, in collaboration with AAKIA Airport, the Zanzibar Airports Authority (ZAA), and the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT), Zanzibar hosted the AviaDev conference from 11 to 13 June 2025. This annual event focuses on air route development across Africa. It presented a unique opportunity to promote the destination, boost its attractiveness, and create favourable conditions for establishing new routes to and from AAKIA Airport. A great success, over 500 delegates from 50 countries attended, representing more than 50 airlines.

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¹SEGAP is an Egis joint venture with private equity fund manager AIIM

There have been significant changes to Zanzibar Airport services and standards, thanks to our partner Egis/SEGAP for their expertise and support.

Seif Abdalla JumaZanzibar Airports Authority Director General

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