Angola international airport
Encyclopedia
Angola International Airport is a new major airport currently being built near the Angola
n capital of Luanda
. Under construction since 2008, it is some 40 km southeast of the city center in the Bom Jesus
commune in Ícolo e Bengo
municipality in the Bengo Province and is an alternative to the existing Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport.
, which was founded in Hong Kong
in 2003. The Chinese
have also built a large new construction village named Vila Chinesa, meaning "Chinese village", with accommodation for workers and materials depots, east of Luanda in Viana
.
Since the end of the civil war in 2002, the pace of economic growth in Angola has accelerated. To link the increasing international business with the rest of the world and to secure the drastic increase in logistics networks in Angola, the construction of a new, large international airport was necessary.
The modern passenger terminal occupies 160 000 square metres of land and the cargo terminal is 6 200 square metres in size and would have a capacity of 35 000 tonnes of cargo per year. Two runways will be built. The northern runway is 4 200 meters long, while the southern runway will be 3 800 meters long, both measuring 60 meters in width. The date of commissioning was scheduled for 2010, but will be delayed considerably. The construction costs, which are pre-financed entirely by China
, should be around 300 million US Dollars. Construction work was suspended at the end of 2007, due to financial revaluation by the Angolan government.
The total area of the airport will be at least 50 square-kilometers, while other complementary infrastructure, such as shops, hangars, restaurants, offices, the construction of a hotel near the airport, are not included. The project also includes the construction of a rail link to the capital, to the province of Luanda, and possibly to the neighboring province of Malanje
. In order to ensure a road connection to Luanda the existing road from Luanda to Malange has to be considerably enlarged. Due to its present insufficient width this road is almost constantly blocked by traffic jams.
The project is staffed almost exclusively by Chinese workers, which caused protests by the local population at the start of the construction. This led to occasional riots, with the police and military having to intervene to calm down the situation. Angolans are facing Chinese practice at a disadvantage and asked to be complicit in the construction work.
Meantime, the Chinese enterprise stopped the works in 2010, when after the part of the earth-moving ended, because Angolan authorities did not keep on effectuating the payments owed by contract.
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
n capital of Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
. Under construction since 2008, it is some 40 km southeast of the city center in the Bom Jesus
Bom Jesus
-Brazil:* Bom Jesus, a district in Pirenópolis* Bom Jesus, Paraíba, a city in Paraíba* Bom Jesus, Piauí, a city in Piauí* Bom Jesus, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Rio Grande do Norte* Bom Jesus, Rio Grande do Sul, a city in Rio Grande do Sul...
commune in Ícolo e Bengo
Ícolo e Bengo
Ícolo e Bengo is a município in the province of Bengo in Angola.It covers an area of and its esde Segurança Social, Angola.Ícolo e Bengo is located in the center of the province...
municipality in the Bengo Province and is an alternative to the existing Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport.
Design and construction
The new airport is designed for around 13 million passengers per year and will receive 12 fingerdocks. The construction company is China International FundChina International Fund
China International Fund is a Chinese-owned officially private company based in Hong Kong that describes its major businesses as including "large-scale national reconstruction projects and infrastructure construction in developing countries". The CIF and its associated companies in Hong Kong and...
, which was founded in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 2003. The Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
have also built a large new construction village named Vila Chinesa, meaning "Chinese village", with accommodation for workers and materials depots, east of Luanda in Viana
Viana, Angola
Viana is a suburb of Luanda, Angola, in Luanda Province. It is home to about 6,000 long-term refugees, primarily from Katanga Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Viana is about a 90 minute drive from downtown Luanda...
.
Since the end of the civil war in 2002, the pace of economic growth in Angola has accelerated. To link the increasing international business with the rest of the world and to secure the drastic increase in logistics networks in Angola, the construction of a new, large international airport was necessary.
The modern passenger terminal occupies 160 000 square metres of land and the cargo terminal is 6 200 square metres in size and would have a capacity of 35 000 tonnes of cargo per year. Two runways will be built. The northern runway is 4 200 meters long, while the southern runway will be 3 800 meters long, both measuring 60 meters in width. The date of commissioning was scheduled for 2010, but will be delayed considerably. The construction costs, which are pre-financed entirely by China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, should be around 300 million US Dollars. Construction work was suspended at the end of 2007, due to financial revaluation by the Angolan government.
The total area of the airport will be at least 50 square-kilometers, while other complementary infrastructure, such as shops, hangars, restaurants, offices, the construction of a hotel near the airport, are not included. The project also includes the construction of a rail link to the capital, to the province of Luanda, and possibly to the neighboring province of Malanje
Malanje
Malanje is the capital city of Malanje Province in Angola with a population of approximately 222,000. Nearby is the spectacular Calandula waterfalls, 85 km from the city. These falls are 105 metres high and their great width makes them the main tourist attraction in the region. It is a...
. In order to ensure a road connection to Luanda the existing road from Luanda to Malange has to be considerably enlarged. Due to its present insufficient width this road is almost constantly blocked by traffic jams.
The project is staffed almost exclusively by Chinese workers, which caused protests by the local population at the start of the construction. This led to occasional riots, with the police and military having to intervene to calm down the situation. Angolans are facing Chinese practice at a disadvantage and asked to be complicit in the construction work.
Meantime, the Chinese enterprise stopped the works in 2010, when after the part of the earth-moving ended, because Angolan authorities did not keep on effectuating the payments owed by contract.
External links
- Homepage China International Fund Limited (en)
- First images published of new Luanda Airport March 28, 2009
- Report Angonoticias (pt)
- Angola Acontece (pt)
- Minister: New Airport works delayed 15. November 2007