The opening ceremony of the Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport, constructed by AVIC International Holding Corporation (AVIC INTL), a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), took place in Luanda, the capital of Angola, on Nov 10, marking the official commencement of the airport's cargo operations.
Located 40 kilometers southeast of Luanda, the Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport is a key cooperative project in the field of aviation infrastructure between China and Angola. It is the most comprehensive and largest new international airport project completed by a Chinese company overseas. The airport has the capacity to handle 15 million passengers and 130,000 tons of cargo annually, and aims to become a crucial hub for airport transportation in the southwest of Africa.
The Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport in Luanda, Angola [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
AVIC INTL signed the EPC contract for the airport in February 2017. Since the start of construction, the company has actively promoted the project's business processes and efficiently organized its construction. Over 5,000 Chinese employees and more than 20,000 Angolan employees participated in the project's construction.
Adhering to the principle of local employment during project implementation, the company provided training and employment for local professional technicians, and locally procured engineering materials to promote the bulk sales of construction materials in Angola.
With the completion and operation of the Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport, the airport will become a gateway for Angola to the world and will boost the growth of the African continent's air transport market, benefiting approximately 415 million people in Southern Africa.
Cargo warehouse of the Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
Overseas infrastructure construction is a priority area in joint construction under the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past decade, AVIC INTL, leveraging its core capabilities in aviation infrastructure, has actively promoted the layout of the aviation industry chain. The company has implemented over 300 transportation and livelihood projects in more than 20 countries and regions, contributing to infrastructure connectivity and people's livelihood improvement in Belt and Road countries, and supporting the economic and social development of the countries in which projects are located.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
