The largest airport ever constructed by any Chinese enterprise outside of China (Image: Getty)
A new airport in has become the continent’s largest of all and looks to become a regional hub for both passenger travel and cargo transport.
The airport in also looks to put the country on the map when it comes to travel and tourism.
Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport, or commonly known as Novo Aeroporto Internacional de Luanda (NAIL), is an international airport that serves Angola’s capital city, Luanda.
The new Luanda International Airport is among the 10 best in and is also the largest airport ever constructed by any Chinese enterprise outside of .
The airport covers a total area of 28.9 miles (75 square kilometers) with two parallel runways, one being a whopping 3,800 metres long and the other 4,000 metres long.
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The airport covers a total area of 28.9 miles and will eventually cater for 65 million passengers (Image: Getty)
Despite its sheer size, leading experts have recognised that the airport will have a much larger capacity than needed in 2024.
The Angolan government, however, considers the new Luanda International Airport to be a bet on the future and will look to revolutionise and increase trade within Africa, particularly when it comes to air cargo.
The airport is located in the commune of Bom Jesus which is 24.8 miles (40 km) south-east of the Luanda city center.
Named after Agostinho Neto, the first president of Angola, the new airport’s terminal can handle an impressive 15 million passengers per year with ambitious plans to expand this in phases to eventually allow for 65 million passengers.
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The new Luanda International Airport will revolutionise travel for Angola and the rest of Africa (Image: Getty)
The Luanda International Airport’s cargo terminal is another impressive structure that can handle 130,000 tons of cargo per year.
The airport will eventually replace the existing airport, the Quatro de Fevereiro Airport, which is set to remain open for non-commercial air services including training and maintenance.
Angola’s new airport will be the country’s main gateway to the world and is set to become an important air hub for Africa.
The airport has an 82 metre control tower and its very own rail station with maintenance hangers currently under construction.
It’s two massive double runways is designed to receive the B747 and A380 which are currently the biggest commercial airplanes.
Construction of the airport began in 2006 with construction costs estimated to be in the region of £3.03 billion ($3.8 billion) which was financed by China.
It was officially inaugurated on November 10, 2023 with domestic passenger flights beginning in February 2024 and international services commencing in June 2024.
TAAG Angola Airlines plans to move their hub progressively to Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport at the end of the first quarter of 2025 which together will serve as the country’s main hub.