Mace appointed project manager for new airport Angola

International construction and consulting firm Mace has been hired to project manage and supervise the new Luanda International Airport in Angola, built to accommodate the country’s growing economy. The airport is expected to be up and running in 2017.

Since 2002, the end of the civil war, Angola has been experiencing an accelerated economic growth. To secure the drastic increase in infrastructure and logistics network needed to support this growth, the construction of a new, large international airport was necessary. In 2009, the Angolan Government formalised and approved the construction of the Luanda International Airport.

Luanda International Airport
The new airport, which aims at “becoming ‘the’ aviation hub of western Africa”, will have capacity to accommodate 15 million passengers and 50,000 tonnes of cargo per year. It will feature two runways, a terminal with a gross floor area of 170,000 m2, and three piers with ten gates per pier. A rail link will be built from the airport to the capital and to the province of Luanda, and possibly to the province of Malanje.

To assist in the construction of the airport, the Ministry of Transportation has appointed consulting firm Mace to provide project management and site supervision services to ensure the airport meets international aviation standards.

Commenting on the contract, Carlos Cruz, Mace’s Project Director, says: “Our team in Angola is proud to be part of what will be the most important construction project in the country for the next couple of years. It is an infrastructure of decisive importance for the economic growth of the country and no doubt it will put Luanda on the international aviation map.” Nick Demain, Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at Mace, adds: “As our first major aviation project in sub-Saharan Africa, this is an exciting project for the team and a great win given the local challenges. It also further strengthens our portfolio for the region as we continue to receive infrastructure and transport-related enquiries.”