Luanda - The 4th of February 1961, the date of the beginning of the Armed Struggle for National Liberation, contributed to the end of oppression, discrimination and colonial occupation, that is, to the achievement of independence in the country that this year completes half a century of existence.

However, the day that led Angolans to take up arms to fight for dignity and freedom also gave name, just to name these, to three emblematic spaces in the country's capital, namely the '4 de Fevereiro International Airport', 'Avenida 4 de Fevereiro' and the 'Historical Landmark of the 4th of February'.

These points of the city of Luanda mainly serve the economy, transport, leisure and tourism and were named with the purpose of honoring the heroes and preserving the values of the Homeland. 

February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 330 days left in the year (331 in leap years).

4 de Fevereiro International Airport

Located in the municipality of Maianga, Cassequel neighborhood, the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport, until the beginning of 2024, was the largest in Angola, at 74 meters above sea level, and has two runways, one measuring three thousand and 716 by 45 meters and the second of two thousand and 600 by 60 meters, with a capacity to carry more than three million passengers per year.

From 2002, it received rehabilitation and expansion works that allowed the remodeling of the passenger terminal and the construction of a new car park.

The project was mainly aimed at increasing the number of departure lounges, counters, baggage claim belts, as well as the passenger service capacity from 400 to 1,000 per hour.

It also served to expand the transport capacity from 1.2 million passengers per year, to 3.6 million, in an investment of about US$74 million.

The '4 de Fevereiro' was once considered one of the largest in Southern Africa and the fourth busiest in the region, in terms of number of passengers transported.

In freight transport, in Southern Africa, it even rivaled the international airports of Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa).

Its construction began in 1951 and was completed in 1954. It was opened that same year by the then President of the Portuguese Republic, Craveiro Lopes, who 'baptized' it with his name.

After independence in 1975, the following year, it was renamed '4 de Fevereiro International Airport', in honor of the date of the beginning of the National Liberation War.

The renaming ceremony took place with a visit by the first President of the Republic, António Agostinho Neto.