• The African Aviation Tribune •: ■ ANGOLA: See Pics of Luanda Airport's New Domestic Terminal.

After the recent opening of the newly renovated Catumbela International Airport in the coastal city of Catumbela in Benguela Province, Angola’s airport and air traffic authority Empresa Nacional de Aeroportos e Navegação Aérea (ENANA), on Wednesday 29 August, marked yet another milestone in its infrastructural renovation programme with the opening by Angolan Minister of Transport, Augusto da SilvaTomás, of the new Domestic Terminal at Luanda's 4 de Fevereiro Airport, following extensive refurbishment and expansion by Portuguese contractors, Somague Engenharia.

Somague successfully completed renovation to the International Terminal at Luanda's 4 de Fevereiro Airport in January 2010.

The USD32million project started in March of this year, and was subcontracted to the Portuguese firm by Brazilian firm, Odebrecht International. Logistically, it involved the setting up of a provisional terminal whilst knocking down the existing one, all the while building the new terminal building which covers an area of 8'200 square metres spaced out over two floors, inclusive of a mezzanine.

According to Angop, the domestic terminal currently handles 13 to 15 regular flights per day to various destinations around the country, not including passengers flying to oil exploration areas. As a result, ENANA sought to double the terminal’s capacity from the current 600-700 passengers to about 1200-1300 per day which should be sufficient for the short term, whilst the Angolan capital awaits the long delayed completion of the new Angola International Airport just outside Luanda.

New Domestic Terminal at Luanda's 4 de Fevereiro Airport

The previous Domestic Terminal was a relic of the old Portuguese colonial days and had long outlived its usefulness. The terminal was infamous for its lousy facilities, stuffy humidity and stinky toilets.

Overview:

The project involved the assembling of a 4'500 m²'tent' for the temporary terminal along with the demolition of the existing terminal and construction of a new 8'200 m²terminal with a building site consisting of two floors and a mezzanine. The terminal has a metallic structure with a foundation of solid concrete micropiles whose exterior and interior wall concrete blocks are coated in stone, ceramics, plaster and plasterboard. Additionally, there are stone and ceramic floors; ceilings are in plasterboard, metal and covered with ABM.

Contractor:

Odebrecht International (Brazil) subcontracted to Somague Engenharia (Portugal)

Cost:

-USD32million

Architectural Renderings: