Icolo e Bengo - The National Police (PN) is prepared to prevent and inhibit any criminal act at Dr António Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN), said the corporation's general commander, Arnaldo Carlos, on Friday in Luanda.
He made these statements on the sidelines of the inauguration, by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, of the International Airport, located in the commune of Bom Jesus, municipality of Icolo e Bengo (Luanda).
According to the commander-general, airport security "is of the utmost importance, as this is a space where various elements that contribute to the country's development converge".
For this reason, Commissioner Arnaldo Carlos said that all the basic security aspects for the full operation of the airport are guaranteed by the police forces in their various specialities.
He also emphasised the need for the permanent training of personnel, because "we are in the era of digital transition and we must keep up with all developments, which implies cooperation with other countries for the necessary assistance".
Regarding the fight against transnational crime, he pointed out that the country already has good practices, also as a result of collaboration with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), as well as with Interpol (International Criminal Police Organisation), in order to keep up the fight.
Still on the subject of drug trafficking, he revealed that, at a certain point, Angola began to be a transit point, "but it's gradually becoming a point of consumption, which is a global problem, which is why the police need to be up to the task of counteracting anomalous situations so that they don't take on alarming proportions".
The inauguration ceremony, which took place on the eve of the 48th anniversary of national independence, was attended by about 1,500 guests.
The new airport infrastructure covers an area of 1,324 hectares, has capacity for 15 million passengers and a cargo volume of 130,000 tons per year.
With two double runways, the airport is prepared to receive, among others, B747 and A380 aircraft, the latter considered to be the largest commercial aircraft today.
The southern runway (the largest), which is 4,000 metres long by 60 metres wide, received the first experimental flight of a Boeing 777 aircraft from the Angolan Airline - TAAG - in June 2022.
In addition to the two runways, AIAAN also has 31 airbridges, 19 of which are for international services and 11 for domestic services, as well as nine conveyor belts for baggage storage, six of which are dedicated to international flights.
The infrastructure includes 26 Migration and Foreigners Service (SME) counters, a car park for 1,710 vehicles, as well as space reserved for shops, covering an area of 1,825 square metres.
It also has 22 VIP lounges, a clinic and a first aid centre attached to the passenger terminal, as well as the construction of an airport city from scratch, which will cover a total area of 75 km2.
Dr António Agostinho Neto International Airport has ramps, lifts and staff trained to pay special attention to people with reduced mobility.
The new airport is designed to be a HUB (a hub where a large number of flights are concentrated at certain times), with domestic, regional and international connections, making it Angola's main gateway to the world. AJQ/SC/DAN/DOJ
