Transport / Cape Verde
“In 2012, we had two million passengers and we will invest $88 million in our terminals”
Tell me about ASA’s contribution to the growth of tourism in the country.
Until 2005, we had only one international airport on Sal Island. We built international airports in Praia in 2005, Boa Vista in 2007 and São Vicente in 2009. In 2012, we handled nearly two million passengers, almost 500,000 tourists.
In what ways do you plan to improve the airports to meet growing demands?
We have projects for the passenger terminals at Sal, Boa Vista and Praia airports. We will bring more comfort and beauty, and invest close to $88 million, which will be financed by the African Development Bank.
What are the expectations for the development of tourism?
Tourism has come to stay. We have good governance, political and social stability and no public health risks nor religious conflicts. It feels like an oasis of safety here. There is natural beauty and a mild climate throughout the year. Tourism is essentially based on sun and beach, but there’s a growing demand for adventure and hiking in mountainous islands such as Santo Antão, São Nicolau and Fogo.
We built a new passenger terminal in São Nicolau, to complete our national network.
How would you assess the concept of an aviation hub for western Africa?
Our poets defined the islands as small and lost in the middle of the Atlantic, but the world today recognises the importance of the Cape Verde in the region and its successful development. Africa is very poorly served in terms of aviation; all civil aviation international organizations have commented on the issue. The business is inefficiently organized so far and here lies an opportunity for us. We belong to the Economic Community of West African States and we have privileged relations with the European Union and the United States. There is an enormous business potential and it is worth betting on.
ASA manages a strategic airspace. How does it manage this responsibility?
We manage the Europe-South America corridor that is travelled by over ten million passengers per year. We were pioneers at implementing the CNS/ATM, a new air traffic control system, in 2004, with successive upgrades. The Air France crash in 2009 awakened everyone to the issue of surveillance. After that, we implemented the ADS/CPDLC, a system of satellite data communication, allowing to control airplanes from origin to destination. Our mission is to ensure safety, that’s why we say “When you travel, we take care of you”. We invest in new technology, air traffic controllers and pilot training for
a better global security.
