The long-awaited Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN) in Luanda, Angola, has officially opened for operations after nearly two decades of development.
The US $3.8 billion project, located 40 km southeast of Luanda, aims to establish itself as a major aviation hub in southern Africa, with an annual capacity to handle 15 million passengers and 130,000 tons of cargo in its initial phase, eventually expandable to 444,000 tons.
Constructed by China National Aero-technology International Engineering Corporation, AIAAN is the largest airport built by a Chinese company outside of China. The airport’s development began with a 2005 launch and saw its construction start in 2013. A contract dispute led to termination in 2017, but construction resumed under a new agreement in 2020. Although cargo operations began in February 2024 following the project’s inauguration by Angolan President Joao Lourenco in 2023, the first passenger flight took place on November 10, 2024, with TAAG Angola Airlines operating the inaugural flight.
Economy boost
On its first day of service, the airport accommodated eight round-trip flights to Cabinda. Angolan Minister of Transport Ricardo D’Abreu celebrated the milestone, noting the historic significance and the enthusiasm of airport staff and travelers.
“This is a celebratory, historic day for our civil aviation and our country. We are all very pleased. What stands out to me is the joy in the eyes of all the professionals and passengers already using our new airport,” Ricardo D’Abreu
Positioned to rival South Africa’s OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, AIAAN is expected to bolster Angola’s economy, improve regional connectivity, and enhance the country’s role in Sub-Saharan Africa’s aviation network.