A brand-new airport has been built in Luanda, Angola and is expected to transform the country’s travel industry.

Angola is Africa’s seventh-largest country. Despite it being so huge, the country doesn’t welcome many tourists – but this new infrastructure may change this soon.

Dr Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN) is the largest airport ever constructed by a Chinese enterprise outside of China. The £3 billion airport has been constructed to accommodate 15 million passengers and 130,000 metric tons of cargo. 

The development led by China National Aero-technology International Engineering Corporation experienced many setbacks, including a contract termination in 2017. After three years, a new agreement was made, which saw the airport completed in 2023.

The facility boasts two modern runaways and three terminal buildings. On December 19 of last year, the airport saw its first cargo flight take off. However, since then, flight operations have been slow.

While cargo flights took off last year, it was only this month that the airport launched its first passenger flight, despite plans to begin them in February.

TAAG Angola Airlines was the first carrier to relocate to the airport. Currently, it only operates flights to the Cabinda Province, an exclave of Angola. However, the airline announced that they will add domestic destinations, including Dundo, Saurimo, Luena and Soya, by December 2024.

TAAG also have plans to add international flights by 2025. The airline said: “TAAG is committed to ensuring that this transition takes place smoothly, placing operational safety as a priority, as well as continuity of services, to ensure that passengers’ full travel plans are met.”

The airport is set to play a significant role in increasing international travel and trade, with Ricardo Viegas D’Abreu, the Minister of Transport, explaining that the country is looking to focus more on aviation to explore “opportunities from tourism and trade to agriculture and logistics.”

He said: “Africa has tremendous potential to grow connectivity it is lacking the capacity to do so not only because of the infrastructure, but also due to airlines, access to aircraft and financing to support a civil aviation ecosystem and the Single African Air Transport market.

“The new international airport is an important element not only for Angola but also for supporting the region and continent.”