Africa-Press – Angola. The new Luanda International Airport, under construction since 2013, is in the phase of assembling equipment, furniture, technologies and testing the approach, landing and take-off of aircraft, as part of the start of operations in November this year.
With just 71 days to go before its inauguration, the new airport is at 93 percent (%) of physical work carried out, with regard to the first phase, with payment in the order of 83 percent.
The two parallel lanes, North, with 3.80 meters/60, for two quick exits, and South, 4 thousand/75 meters, with four exits, are finished.
During a guided tour, on Friday, aimed at journalists, in a promotion by the Ministry of Transport, to assess the degree of execution of the project, it was found that 31 sleeves have already been installed, of which 19 are for international services and 11 for domestic.
Nine baggage conveyors, six for the international, 22 VIP lounges, a clinic and a first aid center attached to the passenger terminal are completed.
Also underway is the setting up of 26 branches of the Foreign Migration Service (SMS), a park, in different stages, for 1,710 vehicles, as well as space reserved for shops, in an area of 1,825 square metres.
The new airport has three floors, including a hotel with 53 rooms, monitored by 96 cameras, a control tower and a fully equipped clinic.
In terms of infrastructure, the journalists listed the protocol terminal buildings, control and radar towers, firefighters, aircraft maintenance hangars, video surveillance center, among other functional structures.
The journalists also observed the completion work on the railway branch, which connects the Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN), on a 51-kilometre route, connecting the Bungo Station, in downtown Luanda, in a one-hour journey. .
The flooring of the airport is 100% made of national ornamental stones, as well as more than 80% of the construction material, including cement, steel, wood, paints, among other means.
According to the projections of the coordinator of the Operational Office for the Opening and Certification of the New Luanda International Airport (GONAIL), José Nóbrega, the project is being implemented by 2,226 technicians, of which 400 are foreigners.
Regarding the entry into operation of the new Airport, José Nóbrega said that the activation program is gradual, “first the cargo service begins, followed by domestic passenger flights and then international flights.
At the same time, explains the temporary manager of the airport, work is underway on the land side to set up the logistics areas to accommodate all the installations and equipment to support the cargo activity at the airport.
On the other hand, the official added that this month there will be a presentation of the potential of the infrastructure to potential investors within the framework of access to relevant information.
Dr. Agostinho Neto International Airport, budgeted at US$2.8 billion, has two runways to serve the projected 15 million passengers per year, of which 10 million in international traffic and five in the domestic segment.
It is designed to process a volume of 130 thousand tons of goods per year.
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