Lagardère Travel Retail has opened its first Aelia Duty Free and Relay shops at Libreville Leon M’ba International Airport, after signing an agreement with the airport in December, to operate over 600sq m of retail and food & beverage space. However this will grow to 1,000sq m in 2021 when the new Libreville Airport opens.

 

Lagardère says that the Aelia Duty Free store offers a broad range of local brands and products in addition to a wide range of international brands.

 

The Relay shop offers a full range of travel essentials, including press, magazines and books, food & beverage, high tech accessories, hygiene products, as well as gifts & souvenirs.

 

As of Summer 2019 Lagardère Travel Retail will be operating a three-axis business model at the airport, including its duty free & fashion, travel essentials and foodservice divisions.

 

“We are very pleased with these openings, that demonstrate our ability to bring the best international operational standards to Africa, while developing a very strong and successful local offer,” says Bruno Bouchacourt, Managing Director Africa, Lagardère Travel Retail.

 

“This is yet another important milestone in Lagardère Travel Retail’s journey towards new successes in Africa.”

 

Libreville Leon M’ba International Airport is the only international airport in Gabon and a key location for air traffic in Western Africa and Europe. Fourteen scheduled airlines serve 23 destinations in 15 countries.

When the new Libreville international airport opens in 2021 its total capacity is meant ot exceed 5m passengers a year.

 

The new airport will grow to 12sq km with a footprint of 35,000 sqm over three floors, and a capacity of 2m passengers a year (in the first phase). The space allocated to Lagardère Travel Retail in the new airport will be over 1,000 sqm.