Frequent fliers here have dreaded the new airport’s opening because it means that in most cases their travel time to and from Dakar itself will quadruple because of clogged roadways, including a fraught stretch outside a busy soccer stadium. A taxi ride to the new airport costs around $35; the ride to the old one cost less than $5.

Taxi drivers appear to be among the hardest hit by the opening of the airport. Elimone Thiaw, the secretary general for the union of taxi drivers at the old airport, said that his union had over 500 registered taxis but that so far only 100 of those had been allowed to work at the new airport.

The other taxis, he said, will be forced to compete for fares on the streets of Dakar. That, he said, will thwart the president’s hope of the new airport’s relieving congestion in the overcrowded city.

On Thursday, Paul Diatta was among passengers waiting for flights under the futuristic, wavy, white-paneled roof that reflected off the new terminal’s gleaming white floor. Because he feared traffic jams, he had arrived six hours before his flight was to depart. Getting to the airport, especially on the official inaugural day, was difficult, he said.

“They should have at least done the inaugural ceremony today and started operations tomorrow so that we won’t struggle through the crowd and heavy traffic to get to here,” Mr. Diatta said.

Still, for travelers, the new airport is a welcome relief from the grimy walls, broken seats, stale croissants, struggling air-conditioning and mosquito-infested waiting areas of Dakar’s creaky old one. The best attribute there might have been the graffiti in the women’s bathroom politely wishing fliers safe travels. And now, passengers will no longer have to climb stairs to board planes; they can instead use air-conditioned bridges.

Diplomats who toured the airport fretted over the amount of last-minute work, including electrical wiring strung to check-in counters. More important, many had concerns about the safety of the airport’s jet-fuel supply area, where work was still going on in recent days.