Naval Air Station Keflavik of the airport was assumed by Military Air Transport Service (MATS). MATS re-established a military air terminal and refueling point for trans-Atlantic air service between the United States and Europe at Keflavik. MATS (later MAC and Air Mobility Command) units remained at the airport until the withdrawal of United States military units from Iceland in 2006. During 1947–51, while the base was operated by a US civilian contractor company most of the World War II temporary structures were left empty and became badly deteriorated. The airfield complex, one of the largest in the world during the war, also required upgrading
Mamamah International Airport airport development was expected to be followed by the construction of a new State House, parliament building, ministry buildings, court houses and other support facilities. The developments were intended to improve Sierra Leone's competitiveness as the country prepares to become a middle income country by 2035. Other related development projects are the planned bridging of "Tagrin Bay", which separates Freetown from the peninsula on which Lungi International Airport is located, and the ongoing expansion of the port of Freetown. China Railway International Group had been contracted to build the airport at a cost of US$318 million, borrowed from the Exim