Talatona - The Minister of Transport, Ricardo Viegas D'Abreu, said Monday in Luanda that Angola plans to certify five airports this year for the start of operations, with priority given to Catumbela, in Benguela province.
The minister made the statement on the sidelines of the workshop on the Certification of Aerodromes, Incorporating Pans - Aerodromes for Eastern and Southern African States taking place from May 13 to 17 in Luanda.
According to the minister, certification will open up opportunities for airports to be available to fly passengers and to serve as aerodromes for any alternate flights that may occur, both by national and international airlines.
Regarding the start of domestic and international passenger flights at the newly inaugurated airport in Luanda, the minister reiterated that it will begin in the last quarter of this year.
According to the minister, Catumbela is the second largest air transport hub, while Huíla is the third, and its certification processes are already being dealt with, adding that as for Cabinda the process involves the end of construction of the new airport.
The minister recalled that in the latest audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Angola scored 62 percent in terms of effective implementation, a result higher than the regional average of the 24 countries in the South and East Africa region (ESAF) set at 57 percent.
Ricardo Viegas D'Abreu considered the result decisive for the certification of the first aerodrome in 2022, Luanda International Airport on February 4.
Amélia Kuvíngua, head of the Civil Aviation Administration Council (ANAC) said the workshop comes at a time of complementarity, as the country has been working on airport certification.
"Angola, as an ICAO member state and as an integral part of the South and East Africa office (ESAF), is seeking to play its part and make its contribution to the sustainable and safe development of the aeronautical industry," Kuvíngua said.
The workshop brings together representatives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the 24 member countries that are part of the international Civil Aviation Organization Eastern and Southern African
Regional Office ICAO ESAF.
The meeting aims to bring together the countries of Eastern and Southern Africa to address the challenges of the sector, share experiences and good practices on the certification of international aerodromes.
ESAF is ICAO's regional office for Eastern and Southern African states and was officially inaugurated on 1 December 1983.
It is located at the UN office in Gigiri, Nairobi. The ESAF office is one of the Organization’s arms accredited to 24 states in the Eastern and Southern Africa sub-region.
This is the first meeting held in the country between the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) in coordination with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). GIZ/MAG/AMP
