António Pombal, speaking to the press on the sidelines of the 2nd Transportation and Logistics Forum, organized by Jornal Expansão, with the theme "The New Airport as a Hub of Economic Development for the Country," said that they have recently been gathering intentions from international airlines to transfer to the new António Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN).
"We are working with all of them biweekly to assess all the necessary technical, material, and operational conditions, and each of them will soon be able to announce its transfer date to AIAAN," he stated.
According to António Pombal, "practically all" of the airlines operating in Angola have been in "permanent contact."
"Yesterday [Thursday] we spoke with TAP, with Air France, this week [next] we will speak with Emirates, with Qatar. It's practically resolved, from a technological and operational standpoint. All that's left is for them to say that we'll be leaving on the next day," he emphasized.
According to António Pombal, AIAAN already has two regional destinations in operation: Brazzaville and Kinshasa, capitals of the neighboring Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Taag – Angolan Airlines is expected to begin operations at AIAAN in September, said António Pombal, emphasizing that the scheduling process is well structured, with "all the necessary conditions in place."
He emphasized that other international airlines should follow suit, based on "a schedule that is being developed" based on an executive decree, which stipulates that by "September 30th, all airlines must announce the date on which they will transfer" to the new airport.
"Security is excellent. We have security in every sense of the word at the airport. Our system is fully digitalized, perimeter protection is guaranteed. We are even now introducing a counter-intrusion system. Therefore, there is no doubt about security," he assured.
The "slight delay," admitted António Pombal, was related to ground handling, but two operators are already licensed to carry out this operation.
The new infrastructure, inaugurated in 2023, is already creating social impacts, according to the official, with the creation of around 400 new jobs, a number that should increase to around 600 workers by September of this year.
"We expect, if our operations allow, to reach up to 2200 director employees. Then we have the indirect impacts that may arise, because we have restaurants, kiosks, other stakeholders—a universe for the airport that is extremely large," he said.
Cargo transportation operations began in December 2023, and have "continuously evolved," reaching approximately 6100 tons to date, pure cargo only, "because the larger the cargo, the volume comes from passenger flights."
The AIAAN, located in the province of Icolo e Bengo began construction in 2013, but in 2017 the project was reassessed and the infrastructure, which is located more than 40 kilometers north of Luanda, was inaugurated in 2023, having cost the State coffers around 2.5 billion euros (about 2.9 billion dollars).
