Luanda - Angola airlines TAAG held on Friday an inaugural flight at the newly unveiled Luanda Airport Dr. António Agostinho Neto with a total of 131 passengers on board of the 777 - 300 TEK airplane.
On board the aircraft, whose journey will last approximately 13 minutes, there are managers and public figures, traditional authorities, government officials among other guests.
The aircraft is being crewed by Commander João Mendes, head of the flag carrier's 777 (triple seven) fleet, which will have its "Air Base" at the new airport.
According to TAAG's stopover manager, Gelson Moniz, after the symbolic flight, the company will only effectively begin its operations in 2024, connecting several domestic, regional and international destinations.
The infrastructure built 40 kilometers from the country's capital, will come into operation in phases, with the first stage reserved for cargo services until February 2024, while the second phase begins in February 2024, with domestic flights and the start of international flight in June.
In the first phase, the new airport will operate with provisional certification, as there is not yet sufficient experience of airport operations.
The gradual opening of the new infrastructure takes place for security reasons, testing, certification, and staff training to assess real demand, whose procedures help minimize risks and secure a smooth transition to full operation.
The new airport infrastructure occupies an area of 1,324 hectares, with capacity to receive 15 million passengers and a cargo volume of 130,000 tons per year.
With two double runways, the airport is prepared to receive aircraft of the B747 and A380 type; the latter considered the largest commercial aircraft nowadays, among others.
The south runway (the largest), which is 4,000 meters and 60 meters wide, received in June 2022, the first TAAG’s experimental flight of a Boeing 777 aircraft.
The new Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN) is located in the urban district of Bom Jesus, in the country's capital.
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