According to Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA), the first cargo flight is expected to take place on Friday, December 8th.
Also according to RNA, which cites some information in circulation, commercial operations at the airport should be launched by this Friday. However, according to the same radio, contacts have been made with sources from the Ministry of Transport to confirm the information, but they have remained silent.
After the inauguration of the new airport – which took place on the 10th of November, at the hands of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço –, Ricardo de Abreu, Minister of Transport, assured that the new airport infrastructure was ready to receive cargo flights later this year. "At this moment, the airport is duly certified by the national civil aviation authorities and the General Tax Agency to be able to start cargo operations. We will begin this entire process of activating the airport in a phased manner (...)", said the minister which, quoted by RNA, added that they will "start cargo operations later this year".
In the cargo domain – whose operations begin, according to RNA, with a volume of goods valued at 50 thousand tons per year –, there are companies that have already expressed interest, such as TAAG, DHL, Fedex, among others.
Regarding domestic and international flights, these will only arrive next year, with domestic flights scheduled to begin in February 2024, while international flights should begin in June.
The new Luanda International Airport "Dr. António Agostinho Neto" is located in Bom Jesus, municipality of Icolo and Bengo.
