Luanda’s new international airport will be privately managed

The new Luanda Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport, inaugurated this Friday, with a public investment of $2.8 billion (€2.6 billion), will be privately managed, the President of the Republic of Angola has announced.

João Lourenço inaugurated this Friday the new airport, which in the first phase will operate only with cargo traffic, with an expected capacity of 130 thousand tons per year, starting in February 2024 with domestic flights and in June of the same year with international flights. flying.

Speaking to the press, Angola’s head of state said the government understands that “this major infrastructure should not be managed by the state.”

According to the Angolan President, a temporary transitional airport operator has been appointed to take over the initial management of the airport, with the state keen to ensure this happens as soon as possible.

“The Minister of Transport has announced the opening of a public tender for the final private operator. It is clear that in a few months – I hope so – he will take over the final management of this important infrastructure,” he emphasized.

The Angolan head of state emphasized that when management passes to a private operator, government spending will be significantly reduced, and there will even come a point when the private operator will share income with the owner of the airport, which is the state. . .

“This airport will continue to be owned by the government, but will be managed by a competent private organization that will turn this airport into a source of income. This airport was not built to incur additional costs, on the contrary, it was designed to generate income. for those who manage it, and income for the state,” he emphasized.

In his speech, the Angolan Minister of Transport, Ricardo de Abreu, said that once the infrastructure is opened, it is necessary to work on what needs to happen, since, as he emphasized, “there is no airport in a dynamic economy and with the potential for growth and development, ready project”.

Ricardo de Abreu said that Angola has a strong and nationally and internationally recognized aviation sector.

“What we need is to consolidate and ensure that all those industries that can take advantage of this venture do so without fear of capacity, efficiency, human and technological capacity to be competitive in the African and global context,” he stated.

Angola’s transport minister said an international public tender would be launched to “identify the most suitable partner” to ensure the airport complies with the best international standards and best management practices.

“Whether in terms of passengers who pass through here and visit us, or in terms of logistics through the movement of goods into Angola, from Angola to the world, promoting our exports and peace to our country and to our continent,” the minister said, acknowledging that much work remains to be done to achieve these goals.

Luanda Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport, named after the first President of Angola, is located in Bom Jesus, municipality of Icolo and Bengo, approximately 42 kilometers from the city center of Luanda, covering an area of ​​1324 hectares. , providing its annual passenger flow of 15 million, of which 10 million are from overseas, with two double runways, capacity for B747 and A380 aircraft.

The infrastructure has 31 branches, of which 19 are for international flights and 11 for domestic flights, nine conveyor belts for storing luggage, six of them for international flights, 26 migration counters, a parking lot for 1,650 cars, space for shops, on an area of ​​1,825 square meters and rail access, with a 56 km rail line and express service.

The Angolan President announced this Friday that construction of a new terminal and a new runway are being studied, which would allow about 65 million passengers to travel through the airport annually.