Airports In Angola: How Many Are There?

Angola is a country in south-central Africa with a west coast on the Atlantic Ocean. The country is divided into 18 provinces and 163 municipalities, with its capital being Luanda. Angola has a large number of airports, with sources citing anywhere from 23 to 118 airports in the country. The Republic of Angola is served by Luanda International Airport, also known as Quatro de Fevereiro Airport, via 12 provincial airports.

Angola has 118 airports, including domestic and international airports

Angola is a country in south-central Africa, with a west coast on the Atlantic Ocean. The country has 118 airports, including domestic and international airports. The airports are managed by the company Empresa Nacional de Exploracao de Aeroportos e Navegacao Aerea (ENANA).

The current international airport serving Angola's capital city of Luanda is the Luanda International Airport, also known as the Aeroporto Internacional 4 de Fevereiro, or simply Quatro de Fevereiro Airport. This airport is located in Bom Jesus, municipality of Ícolo e Bengo, Luanda Province, Angola, and is approximately 40 km southeast of the city center. The airport is served by 19 airlines and offers flights to and from 36 destinations.

The new Angola International Airport, located about 30 km to the east of Luanda, is under construction and will gradually replace the current international airport. It was inaugurated on November 10, 2023, and is expected to have an initial capacity to handle 15 million passengers and 35,000 tonnes of cargo per year. The passenger terminal occupies 160,000 sq. m, while the cargo terminal covers 6,200 sq. m, on a precinct with a total area of 50 sq. km.

Some of the other major airports in Angola include the Mbanza Congo Airport, the Ngjiva Pereira Airport, the Porto Amboim Airport, and the Albano Machado Airport. The Republic of Angola is served from the Luanda International Airport via 12 provincial airports.

The busiest airport in Angola is the Quatro de Fevereiro Airport

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country in south-central Africa. The country is divided into 18 provinces and 163 municipalities, with its official language being Portuguese and its capital, Luanda. Air transport is a vital component of Angola's economy, acting as a gateway to national, regional, and global travel.

The country has 23 large airports, with the busiest airport being the Quatro de Fevereiro Airport. This airport serves as the main hub for TAAG Angola Airlines, the country's only airline, which operates 19 airlines and serves 36 destinations. The Quatro de Fevereiro Airport is located in Luanda and has two asphalt runways, with dimensions of 3712 x 43 feet and 2490 x 51 feet, respectively.

The airport is currently being privatised, with the sale of a majority stake in the airport concessionaire included in the Global Strategy for the Airport System (EGSA). The Airport Management Company (SGA) is overseeing the privatisation processes. In addition to the privatisation, a new international airport has been under construction for several years and is expected to replace the Quatro de Fevereiro Airport for commercial passenger services.

The new airport, named Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport, is located 40 km southeast of Luanda's city centre. It has a capacity of 15 million passengers annually and significant cargo capacity. The airport features two parallel runways, a passenger terminal spanning 160,000 square meters, and a cargo terminal covering 6,200 square meters.

The Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport is set to replace the Quatro de Fevereiro Airport

Angola is a country in south-central Africa, with its west coast on the Atlantic Ocean. The country has numerous airports, including the Albano Machado Airport, the Mbanza Congo Airport, the Luanda Airport, and the Quatro de Fevereiro Airport.

The Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport is an airport serving the capital of Angola, Luanda. It is located in the commune of Bom Jesus, within the municipality of Ícolo e Bengo, Luanda Province, 40 km southeast of the Luanda city center. The airport is designed for 15 million passengers annually and 130,000 metric tons of cargo. It is intended to be Angola's main gateway to the world and an important air hub for Africa.

The Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport will gradually replace the city's existing Quatro de Fevereiro Airport, which currently serves 19 airlines and 36 destinations. The older Luanda airport served 5.6 million in 2018, while the new airport will be able to handle 15 million passengers and 35,000 tons of cargo per year. The replacement of the Quatro de Fevereiro Airport by the Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport is part of a plan to increase trade within Africa, especially for air cargo.

The new airport has two parallel runways, located 2.2 kilometres apart. The first runway is 4,000 metres long and 60 metres wide, while the second runway is 3,800 metres long and 60 metres wide. The passenger terminal occupies 160,000 square metres, while the cargo terminal covers 6,200 square metres, on a precinct with a total area of 50 square kilometres. The construction of the airport and its complementary infrastructure, such as shops, hangars, restaurants, offices, and a nearby hotel, was financed entirely by China and cost US$3.8 billion.

The Angola International Airport is under construction and will be the country's newest airport

Angola is set to open a new international airport, adding to the 23 existing airports in the country. The Angola International Airport, also known as Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport, is located in Bom Jesus, within the municipality of Ícolo e Bengo, Luanda Province. It is situated approximately 40 km southeast of the capital city, Luanda.

The airport has been designed to handle 13 to 15 million passengers annually and is expected to become Angola's main gateway to the world, serving as a significant air hub for Africa. It will feature two parallel runways, with the longer northern runway measuring 4,200 metres and the southern runway 3,800 metres in length. The passenger terminal building spans 160,000 square metres and includes 12 aircraft finger docks, modern baggage carousels, and spacious check-in counters, alongside ample space for commercial and hospitality services. The cargo terminal occupies 6,200 square metres, with an annual capacity of 35,000 tonnes.

The construction of the airport, led by the China International Fund in partnership with the Brazilian company Odebrecht, began in 2006. The project has faced several delays due to financial challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic, with the initial completion date of 2012 being postponed multiple times. The airport was officially inaugurated on November 10, 2023, and gradually began flight operations, with the first cargo flight taking off on December 19, 2023.

The new airport is expected to boost international travel and trade, providing a hub for transit passengers and facilitating increased air cargo within Africa. It will also help manage the growing passenger traffic in Luanda, one of the most populous cities in Africa, and Angola, with a population of 37 million. The existing Quatro de Fevereiro Airport will continue to operate for non-commercial air services, maintenance, and training.

The busiest airports in Africa handle 7.5 to 28 million passengers per year

Angola is a country in south-central Africa with 23 large airports. The only Angolan airline is TAAG Angola Airlines. The largest airport in the country is the Quatro de Fevereiro Airport, where 19 airlines operate and serve flights to and from 36 destinations. Other large airports in Angola include the Albano Machado Airport, the Mbanza Congo Airport, the Ngjiva Pereira Airport, and the Porto Amboim Airport.

• Cairo International Airport, Egypt: 20 million passengers in 2022, 26 million in 2023
• O.R. Tambo International Airport, South Africa: 14.8 million passengers in 2022
• Cape Town International Airport, South Africa: 7.9 million passengers in 2022
• Mohammed V Airport, Morocco: 7.6 million passengers in 2022
• Hurghada International Airport, Egypt: 7.2 million passengers in 2022

Cairo International Airport in Egypt was Africa's busiest airport in 2022, with a passenger traffic of 20 million. The Airports Council International (ACI) reports that the airport could retain its top spot in 2023, with records showing that it processed more than 26 million passengers that year. The passenger traffic comprises both domestic and international travellers. Out of Cairo International Airport's 20 million passengers in 2022, more than 16.5 million (83%) were classified as international travellers.

The O.R. Tambo International Airport in the Gauteng Province of South Africa was Africa's busiest airport in 2019, but it has since been surpassed by Cairo International Airport. It came second in Africa in 2022, processing nearly 14.8 million passengers in total, with almost 6 million of those being international travellers. The airport could retain its second spot in 2023, with records showing that in November 2023 alone, it processed 1.5 million passengers.

The third-busiest airport in Africa in 2022 was Cape Town International Airport, which processed nearly 7.9 million passengers, with most of its travellers being domestic passengers. Between January and August 2023, it recorded 1.7 million two-way international passengers.

Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco was fourth in Africa, with 7.6 million passengers in 2022. Most of its passengers were international travellers – 6.8 million (89%).

Hurghada International Airport in Egypt processed nearly 7.2 million passengers to take the fifth spot in 2022. More than 6.5 million of its passengers (90%) were international travellers.

Frequently asked questions