Government signs memorandum for Santo Antão airport and starts feasibility study

In his speech, Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva said that the decision was the result of a process that had been "thought out, reflected on and studied", stressing that the construction of an airport requires studies into location, technical feasibility, financial sustainability and a master plan.

"We are not fulfilling a promise, we are fulfilling something that has been thought out, given a lot of thought, studied and subjected to a series of previous studies in order to arrive at this moment. A strategic option to connect the island of Santo Antão to the world, directly by air transport and to this connection with the world. So it's a commitment in the Government Program, it's a commitment to Cape Verde," he said.

The Prime Minister explained that the decision to build the airport in Santo Antão has been questioned several times, but stressed that the creation of such an infrastructure is not simple.

He added that it also involves location studies, analysis of technical parameters, carrying out various tests, drawing up sustainable projects, defining a master plan and carrying out a feasibility study to guarantee long-term sustainability.

Ulisses Correia e Silva said he is convinced that this is the right option, stressing that the islands' priority is firstly to guarantee their internal connectivity and then their connection to the world, which is mainly by air.

He explained that the infrastructure should create enough scale to boost the local economy, generate employment and attract investment, without de-characterizing the island's identity.

For his part, the executive director of concessions at Vinci Airports, Nicolas Notebaert, announced the start of a design, financing and feasibility study for Santo Antão airport, the results of which are expected to be presented in the coming months.

He also said that the airport would be a good fit for the local economy.

He stressed that the project is part of the concessionaire's second phase of investment in Cape Verde, reinforcing its commitment to expanding and modernizing the country's airport infrastructure.

He said that the concession has already allowed significant investment in improving the safety, quality of service and environmental performance of the airports, and that a new stage of expansion is now planned, with an impact on connectivity, traffic growth and job creation.

The memorandum signed today thus marks the formal start of the process, which could lead to the construction of Santo Antão airport, considered by the executive to be a key element in the island's economic development and in consolidating the national strategy of opening up to the world.

Inforpress