"I confirm that there have been advances and, in principle, we maintain the opening date which, most likely, will be before December", said the head of state, who last Saturday visited the works of the future airport.
Regarding the work that is being carried out within the framework of the airport's certification process, João Lourenço said he had received information that "the work is in progress", promising news soon. "The information I received is that the work is in progress and, in due time, we will have news that we hope will be good", he indicated, in statements to the press.
"This access work, which basically has to do with another sector – not with the transport sector, but with Public Works and Spatial Planning –it is also moving forward, as well as the part whose responsibility is the Energy and Water sector is also being taken care of and, in principle, we are satisfied", he indicated.
The head of state also said that in his visit, which he says he hopes will be the "last one before the inauguration of this great undertaking", it was possible to unblock "at least one constraint and that, if the visit had not taken place, perhaps it would not have been unblocked today [Saturday]".
"So the value of field visits is precisely that. Sometimes it gives us the opportunity to make decisions in the field, which turn out to be always more effective than waiting for a meeting in the comfort of an air-conditioned room", added the President of the Republic.
According to a note from the Presidency of the Republic, to which VerAngola had access, on the occasion, the President of the Republic also referred to the ongoing works that will guarantee access to the airport, considering that these are progressing "at a good pace" .
The Minister of Public Works, Urban Planning and Housing, Carlos dos Santos, on the sidelines of João Lourenço's visit, assured that the access works to the new airport comply with the stipulated deadlines and end in October this year.
During the visit, João Lourenço got to know the "command of the fire service, the airport clinic and the control tower, among other support infrastructures for the future operation of Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport", says another note from the Presidency , to which VerAngola had access.
"The head of state was also in the structure that will be the domestic terminal and in the Integrated Control Center building", the communiqué also reads.
It should be recalled that, in March of this year, the President of the Republic visited the future airport, having, at the time, guaranteed that the infrastructure would start working "at the end of the year".
