Africa-Press – Angola. Domestic and international passenger flights at António Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN) will begin in the last quarter of this year, said this Monday, the coordinator of the Operational Office of that infrastructure, José Paulo Nóbrega.
According to the person responsible, at this time the training process for more than a thousand technicians is taking place, for subsequent international certification that licenses them to operate the new Luanda Airport.
The person in charge provided this information at the end of an observation visit to the new Airport, by the Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano, which aimed to assess the challenges until the operationalization of AIAAN.
The visit was preceded by a multisectoral meeting to monitor the construction and activation of this infrastructure.
The coordinator made it known that, at this moment, the biggest challenge in operationalizing the airport is related to the training of staff, which began around four months ago, with “on the job” training starting in June.
“Effectively, we have two types of challenges, the first being the repairs of the last necessary works, before the start, but which do not affect the airport’s operability”, he assured.
The coordinator of the Works Office of the New Luanda International Airport (GONAIL) said that training for maintenance technicians will soon begin, with the aim of ensuring its longevity.
He said there is a multidisciplinary team with 18 groups, made up of more than 40 technicians each, including public transport professionals from TCUL, Caminhos de Ferro and AGT, who daily agree on the best ways to put the airport into operation in all its areas.
The enterprise already has the necessary equipment and technology available for its normal operation, such as those relating to firefighters, security, communication, baggage, passenger and circulation control.
AIAAN has been operating with cargo services since January and currently has an average of five flights per week, with a greater focus on imports from different countries.
“We have already received large cargo planes such as the 747 and other lighter ones, from various parts of the world, while passenger planes continue at 4 de Fevereiro Airport for now,” he said.
Opened on November 10, 2023, AIAAN has the capacity to receive up to 15 million passengers per year and to process, in the same period, 130 thousand tons of goods.
The new international airport was designed to become one of the largest and most relevant airport and logistics hubs on the African continent, not only to boost inter-African commercial exchange and promote mobility between African countries, but also to consolidate Angola’s connection and from Africa to the rest of the world.
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