Yesterday, Thursday, 7th, International Civil Aviation Day was marked, a transport subsector that is undergoing constant technological changes and from the point of view of its regulations
Infrastructure supporting the civil aviation sector has grown considerably in the country, and the latest example is the new Luanda international airport (NAIL). On International Aviation Day, sector specialist and economist say that Angola has everything to be a continental reference In a short approach, the former director of 4 de Fevereiro International Airport, Celso Rosa, considers that Dr. António Agostinho Neto Airport is the gateway to entry that was missing for our country.
Celso Rosa adds that NAIL will be a reason enough to attract new airlines to Angola. In his intervention during the inauguration of the new Secretary of State for the Civil Aviation, Maritime and Port Sectors, Rui Carreira, the President of the Republic directed greater attention to civil aviation, placing emphasis on the issue of TAAG, which, according to the statesman, you need to fly higher.
For now, the flag airline has had a new board of directors since last Tuesday, 5th. Having said that “we are ordering new aircraft, Boeing, but we need not to neglect the need to recover the current fleet. We already have a fleet that is not small at all, it is large, with some resources that need to be discharged, regardless of whether we expect, in the coming years, to receive more resources already ordered and announced”, said the President of the Republic .
It is known that several requests from airlines wishing to fly to Angola are lodged with the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), as the country now has its doors open, allowing the entry of citizens of more than 90 nationalities. And to this is added the fact that it has a new airport with greater capacity, compared to that of Luanda (city center).
The new international airport in Luanda, considered the biggest success in aviation, is the largest infrastructure and reflects the advances in investment that are being made in the transport sector in general. Located in Bom Jesus, municipality of Icolo and Bengo, around 42 kilometers from the center of Luanda, it occupies an area of 1,324 hectares, with an expected annual flow of 15 million passengers, of which 10 million are from abroad, with two double runways, with capacity for B747 and A380 type aircraft.
The infrastructure has 31 sleeves, of which 19 for international services and 11 for domestic services, nine conveyor belts for baggage storage, six of them for international flights, 26 migration counters, a parking lot for 1,650 vehicles, space for stores, in an area of 1,825 square meters, rail access, with a 56-kilometer railway line, and an express train. 30 thousand tons per year will pass through NAIL. The ongoing transformations in the sector allowed the National Civil Aviation Institute (INAVIC) to become ANAC, with autonomy in its inspection procedures for companies operating in the sector.
Furthermore, ENANA was extinguished, and two entities were created, namely the Airport Management Society (SGA), responsible for managing the entire national airport network, and the National Air Navigation Company (ENNA), a provider of pregnancy services. and control of air navigation, as well as aeronautical communications. In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed that December 7th would be International Civil Aviation Day. The day has been celebrated by the International Civil Aviation Organization since December 7, 1994, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
“Many planes can visit Luanda to refuel”
For economist Paulo dos Santos, the civil aviation subsector has grown a lot and Angola is pursuing a new economic and social direction that places it in the face of international challenges, finding aviation a factor in guaranteeing the success of its affirmation as a regional, African and global power. . “Over the last 15 years, the aviation subsector has benefited from new infrastructure in several provinces, including passenger terminals and runways, the acquisition of new planes for fleet renewal, enabling the opening of new domestic and international stops”, enumerated.
He adds that the “no need” for a pre-boarding visa for more than half of the countries in the world opens doors for people interested in visiting, researching or investing in the country, posing real challenges to the Angolan authorities. The economist also states that the inauguration of the Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN) brought several benefits, from the airport infrastructure of international quality with space for landing more aircraft and greater comfort for passengers, a new railway line and the respective surface metro, thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
“As Angola is a global oil power, with the entry into operation of refineries under construction, and the sale of aviation fuel at prices below the market, it can be expected that many planes will fly to Luanda and make it their preferred supply point, bringing with passengers who will benefit from tickets at special rates, including tourists and investors”, he predicted.
The aviation industry brings with it other industries
Retired aviation management technician Emílio Romão understands that in an increasingly globalized world, where agility and rapid changes are a constant, the aviation industry, and specifically commercial passenger air transport, contributes effectively and decisively to this direct and indirect development, through the creation of opportunities for the emergence of new companies.
Emílio Romão says that the aviation industry brings with it other industries that depend on the movement of people, whether for leisure or work, as is the case with car rental companies, hotels and tourism and even population deconcentration in certain provincial circles. “Markets and consumers follow and dictate trends, opportunities and innovations, configured at the technological, product and service levels, as well as the business model itself,” he said. In turn, adds the technician, consumers will be increasingly informed and attentive, as a result of greater ease of access to information through new information technologies that offer faster and more effective communications.
“The challenges currently facing the civil aviation industry, and consequently airlines, are many and large. The expectation regarding technological evolution in this industry, whose development and evolution are directly linked to it, is phenomenal, and the generalization with regard to air travel will certainly grow”, he admitted. In view of this, he states that there must be a balance between the various conditioning factors.
The price of oil and/or fuel, the price of tickets and the outsourcing of some less competitive airports will lead to differentiation in the quality and efficiency of the services provided and, in parallel, by airlines and all those involved in the aviation services chain.
