The Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport, under construction since 2010, in the Bom Jesus commune, municipality of Icolo e Bengo, in the province of Luanda, will be inaugurated on November 10.
The announcement was made Saturday September 30 during a visit to journalists by the Minister of Transport. Ricardo Viegas d’Abreu said that the inauguration of the first phase, which will be completed in 70 days, will be preceded by the definitive certification of Luanda International Airport “Dr. António Agostinho Neto”, scheduled for the second week of October.
Data from the Office for the Operationalization of the New Luanda International Airport (GONAIL) estimates the investment made by the state for the airport infrastructure at 2.8 billion dollars. The Minister of Transport, Ricardo d’Abreu, also said that the International Airport represents a “milestone for the country” and could make it a hub for the region and the continent itself. As for final certification, the process is on schedule and is being conducted by the world’s leading civil aviation body.
The coordinator of the Office for the Operationalization of the New Luanda Airport (GONAIL), José Paulo Nóbrega, said that the definitive certification should take place following the delivery to the Executive of another provisional one, after a series of checks and operational tests that are underway by a team of foreign technicians, including pilots.
The conviction that the New Luanda International Airport (NAIL) “Dr. António Agostinho Neto” will be inaugurated on November 10 of this year, according to José Paulo Nóbrega, is due to the fact that the first phase of the works is expected to be completed in 71 days. The GONAIL coordinator revealed that the physical execution of the construction is at 93.7 percent, with 53.4 percent operated by AVIC and the remaining 43.6 by CIF.