Nelson Mandela International Airport (IATA: RAI, ICAO: GVNP), also known as Praia International Airport, is an international airport of Santiago Island in Cape Verde. It was opened in October 2005,[3] replacing the old Francisco Mendes International Airport. It is located about 3 km (1.9 mi) northeast of the city centre of Praia in the southeastern part of the island of Santiago.
Praia International Airport Aeroporto Internacional Nelson Mandela | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Vinci Airports[1] | ||||||||||
| Serves | Santiago Island | ||||||||||
| Location | Praia, Cape Verde | ||||||||||
| Opened | 6 October 2005 | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 70 m / 230 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 14°55′27.12″N 23°29′38.04″W / 14.9242000°N 23.4939000°W | ||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  RAI/GVNP Location in Cape Verde | |||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Statistics (2017) | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
History
editThe first flight to the new airport was on 6 October 2005 with a flight from Sal.[3] Even though the airport serves the capital and largest city, Praia as well as the island of Santiago, Cape Verde's busiest international airport is Amílcar Cabral International Airport located on the smaller island of Sal.[2]
In January 2012 a Cape Verde government statement noted that Praia International Airport was renamed after South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela, an icon for freedom in Africa, not without controversy.[4] Modernization works, including a new departures hall, were scheduled for completion in July 2018.[5]
In July 2023 Vinci Airports finalized a financial arrangement to take over seven airports in Cape Verde under a concession agreement signed with the island country’s government. The company will be responsible for the funding, operation, maintenance, extension and modernization of the airports for 40 years, alongside its subsidiary ANA-Aeroportos de Portugal, which holds 30% of the concession company Cabo Verde Airports.[1]
Airlines and destinations
editThe following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Praia Airport:
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Senegal | Dakar–Diass[6] |
| ASKY Airlines | Dakar–Diass, Lomé[7] |
| Azores Airlines | Ponta Delgada |
| Bestfly Cabo Verde[8] | Boa Vista, Maio, Sal, São Filipe, São Nicolau, São Vicente (all suspended)[9] |
| Cabo Verde Airlines[10] | Boa Vista, Lisbon, Maio, Paris–Charles de Gaulle,[11] Sal, São Filipe, São Nicolau, São Vicente |
| Luxair | Seasonal: Luxembourg[12] |
| Royal Air Maroc | Bissau, Casablanca |
| TAP Air Portugal | Lisbon |
| Transair | Dakar–Diass[13] |
| Transavia | Seasonal: Paris–Orly |
Statistics
edit| Year | Passengers | Operations | Cargo (t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012[14] | 497,049 | ||
| 2013[14] | 505,497 | 8,978 | 1,418 |
| 2016[2] | 522,584 | 8,641 | 1,109 |
| 2017[2] | 662,356 | 11,236 | 959 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "VINCI Takes Over Seven Cape Verde Airports". aviationweek.com. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Boletim Estatístico de Tráfego – Ano 2017" (PDF) (in Portuguese). ASA. January 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ a b "Novo Aeroporto: Primeiro voo intercontinental chega hoje à Praia" [New Airport: First Intercontinental Flight Arrives in Praia]. A Semana (in Portuguese). 23 October 2005. Archived from the original on 8 March 2017.
- ^ "Cape Verde Names Airport After Nelson Mandela". All Africa.com. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
- ^ "Obras de expansão e modernização do Aeroporto da Praia consomem mais 35 por cento dos 29 milhões de euros previstos" (in Portuguese). Inforpress. 18 December 2017. Archived from the original on 5 November 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "Air Senegal outlines proposed regional network from late-Sep 2018". routesonline.com. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- ^ "Asky Airlines adds Cape Verde service from April 2020".
- ^ "Schedules". bestflycaboverde.com.
- ^ ch-aviation.com - Bestfly pulls out of Cabo Verde over ACMI debacle 24 April 2024
- ^ "Flight Schedule". caboverdeairlines.com.
- ^ "CABO VERDE AIRLINES VAI RETOMAR VOOS PARA PARIS". 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Luxair aumenta número de voos semanais para as ilhas de Cabo Verde". 29 May 2023.
- ^ Gaye, Alex (19 July 2016). "Vol inaugural Dakar-Praia : Transair relève le défi". au-senegal.com.
- ^ a b "Statistics in Airports" (PDF) (in Portuguese). ASA. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2014.[permanent dead link]
External links
edit
Media related to Praia International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
