Cape Verde and VINCI Airports sign a concession contract for seven airports across the country

18 July 2022 - 5:45 pm - New contracts - Cape Verde

• A 40-year concession contract that will boost the country’s economic growth
• A strategy designed to expand the country’s tourism industry and support its environmental transition
• The first concession contract signed by VINCI Airports in Africa

Ulisses Correia e Silva (Cape Verdean prime minister) and Nicolas Notebaert (Chief Executive Officer of VINCI Concessions and President of VINCI Airports) signed a concession contract for seven airports in the Cape Verde archipelago today.

The contract covers four international airports (the capital city Praia, Sal, São Vicente and Boa Vista) and three domestic airports (São Nicolau, São Filipe and Maio).

Over a 40-year period, VINCI Airports and its Portuguese subsidiary ANA (owning, respectively, 70% and 30% stakes in the concession company) will be responsible for financing, operating, maintaining, extending and upgrading the airports.

The financial arrangements for the project are expected to be finalised by mid-2023, when the new concession company will begin operating the airports.

As a result of the country’s strong economic growth, stable political environment and thriving tourism sector, air traffic rose by an average of 5.6% each year between 2010 and 2019, with passenger numbers reaching 2.8 million. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic impacting most tourist destinations worldwide, air traffic reached 80% of 2019 levels in the second quarter of 2022.

VINCI Airports aims to support Cape Verde’s tourism strategy through a project tailored to suit each airport (factoring in different passenger segment and island-specific considerations). The archipelago’s cultural identity will be reflected in the architecture and customer experiences at the airports.

Furthermore, VINCI Airports will implement its environmental action plan, which involves developing solar and wind power.

This opportunity in Cape Verde will enable VINCI Airports to build on ANA’s 10 years of experience as a concession holder serving 10 Portuguese airports.

According to Nicolas Notebaert, CEO of VINCI Concessions and President of VINCI Airports, “We are very proud to announce this partnership with the Republic of Cape Verde. Our shared vision is to boost the country’s tourism industry through a long-term growth strategy. Improving the airports’ links and performance will have a positive impact on the country. VINCI Airports is deeply committed to helping the Cape Verde archipelago realise its full potential over the course of this long-term partnership.”

 

About VINCI
VINCI is a global player in concessions, energy and construction, employing 280,000 people in more than 120 countries. We design, finance, build and operate infrastructure and facilities that help improve daily life and mobility for all. Because we believe in all-round performance, we are committed to operating in an environmentally, socially responsible and ethical manner. And because our projects are in the public interest, we consider that reaching out to all our stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them is essential in the conduct of our business activities. Based on that approach, VINCI’s ambition is to create long-term value for its customers, shareholders, employees, partners and society in general.