Africa-Press – Angola. Angolan nationalists considered, this Friday, that the Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN) represents a victory for everyone who fought for the struggle for National Independence, which this Saturday turns 48 years old.
The queen of the 4th of February, a milestone in the beginning of the national liberation struggle, Engrácia Cabenha, said that the infrastructure is one of the most important in Independent Angola and represents the desire of Angolans to increasingly own of your destination.
The nationalist, who was part of the inaugural flight, stated that the airport is the result of the rich history of the fight for freedom and that it serves as a reference for new generations.
Engrácia Cabenha was the only woman to join the group of nationalists who attacked the colonial prisons of Luanda in 1961, in an attempt to free imprisoned patriots, thus beginning the Armed Struggle for National Liberation.
For Roberto de Almeida, the new airport is the result of a visionary policy by the Angolan Executive towards development.
“It is an infrastructure that projects Angola into the future”, he said.
For his part, nationalist Pedro Neto said it was equipment that dignified Angola’s 48 years of independence, which throughout these years took steps to achieve development.
He highlighted that it is an international-class airport and work must be done to take all the advantages so that Angola can stand alongside others in Africa and the world.
The retired bishop of the Methodist Church, Emílio de Carvalho, also participating in the national liberation struggle, highlighted that it is a unique moment in history that makes all Angolans proud, as “we have shown, once again, that we are capable”.
The airport
The new airport infrastructure occupies an area of 1,324 hectares, has capacity for 15 million passengers and a cargo volume of 130 thousand tons per year.
With two double runways, the airport is prepared to receive, among others, aircraft of the B747 and A380 types, the latter considered the largest commercial aircraft.
The southern runway (the largest), which is four thousand meters by 60 meters wide, received, in June 2022, the first experimental flight of a Boeing 777 type aircraft from the national flag company – TAAG.
In addition to the two runways, AIAAN also has 31 lanes, of which 19 are for international services and 11 are for domestic services, as well as 9 conveyor belts for baggage storage, six of which are dedicated to international flights.
The infrastructure includes 26 branches of the Migration and Foreigners Service (SME), a parking lot for 1,710 vehicles, as well as space reserved for shops, in an area of 1,825 square meters.
It also has 22 VIP lounges, a clinic and a first aid center attached to the passenger terminal, in addition to contemplating the construction of an airport city from scratch, which will cover a total area of 75 km2.
Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport has ramps, elevators and trained staff to pay special attention to people with reduced mobility.
The new airport was designed to be a HUB (revolving hub where a large number of flights are concentrated at certain times), with domestic, regional and international connections, being Angola’s main gateway to the world.
According to forecasts by the Angolan Government, the entry into operation of the infrastructure will boost the growth of national and regional air transport, potentially benefiting approximately 415 million inhabitants in the sub-region.
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