LONDON (ShareCast) - Westminster Group is set to launch its new flagship ferry, Sierra Queen, in Sierra Leone later this month.
The company, which supplies security and other managed services to governments, corporations and NGOs, will hold a ceremony on 11 June after which the ferry is expected to start trial operations.

In November, Westminster revealed that its managed services division had secured a 21-year concession and lease agreement, which it valued as having $300m of revenue potential, for the complete management and operation of "a number of recently constructed ferry terminals together with the provision of a sea ferry transfer service".

Ahead of the launch in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown, chief executive Peter Fowler said: "The Sierra Queen is a very impressive vessel and is just the first of what we expect to be a growing fleet of vessels. Over the next year or so we will be developing ferry terminals on both sides of the river and will work with the government and ministry to identify and secure new landing sites so that the service expands [...] In addition, we will be looking to open up new routes around the coast and even to neighbouring countries."

With the end of the Ebola crisis now in sight, Fowler said he thought the tourism industry in Sierra Leone could flourish once again, given the right transport links.

"In this respect I am also pleased to announce that Kenya Airways are recommencing daily flights to Sierra Leone this week, which is great news and follows the pattern of increasing passenger numbers we have been seeing in 2015, with some 5,267 embarking passengers in May being the highest monthly total since August 2014 when the majority of airlines had ceased services. This bodes well not only for our new ferry service but also for our airport security operations."

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