Angola has awarded operation of its newly built US$3.8 billion international airport to a consortium that includes Portuguese conglomerate Mota-Engil, reports Bloomberg.
The concession for the operation, management and maintenance of the new António Agostinho Neto International Airport (known by its Portuguese initials AIAAN) went to a consortium led by Corporación América Airports (CAAP), which includes Portuguese group Mota-Engil and Angolan private aviation company BestFly. The group won out over a consortium that included Chinese airport operator Yunnan Airport Group, which was shortlisted last year.
According to the Angolan Ministry of Transport, the CAAP consortium achieved the best overall rating, demonstrating “technical capacity, financial strength and proven experience in managing airport infrastructure in an integrated manner”.
The initial concession lasts 25 years with the potential to be renewed for another 15 years, according to the ministry.
[See more: Angola launches international tender for operation of the Moçamedes Railway]
CAAP currently operates 53 airports across Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Armenia and Italy, and drew praise from the transport ministry for its “economic stability and regulatory rigour.” As a leader in private airport management, the ministry statement emphasised, CAAP combines technical excellence with proven operational capacity in the modernisation and expansion of airport infrastructure.
Transport minister Ricardo de Abreu said awarding the concession marks a “unique and historic” moment for Angola and for civil aviation. AIAAN, he said, is a “crucial” infrastructure for driving economic growth and transforming Angola into a “true continental air hub.”
AIAAN has been managed by the state since its inauguration in November 2023. Built by China National Aero-technology International Engineering (AVIC), the US$3.8 billion facility is the largest ever built by a Chinese company outside of China, with capacity for 15 million travellers and 130,000 tonnes of cargo annually, with expansion potential of up to 440,000 tonnes. Initially used solely for cargo, domestic flights started in November 2024 and flag carrier TAAG began moving international flights to the new airport this October.
