Indra preparing Lubango airport in Angola for the 2010 African Cup of Nations
The contract amounts to euros 7M and is part of the effort the country is making so that facilities are ready in January
Indra acquires an important reference in information systems for passenger management in this continent
Indra, the premier IT Company in Spain and a leading IT multinational in Europe, is working on the refurbishing of the terminal and on the navigation systems of Lubango airport in Angola, which are managed by the National Company of Exploration of Airports and Air Navigation (ENANA). The objective is to prepare the aerodrome to welcome thousands of visitors in 2010 who will attend the African Cup of the Nations. This project amounts to euros 7M.
The equipment to be deployed in the airport terminal by the company will cover access control, check in, boarding and luggage management, among other processes. The systems will display information regarding arrivals, departures, timetables and flight locators on the screens of the terminal. In addition, Indra will also implement the integrated security system and all communications and telephony systems.
Lubango will be one of the four cities to host the tournaments. Estádio Alto da Chela, a stadium which has been specially built to host the event in this city, has a capacity of 20,000 people. In addition to this, Lubango airport terminal will be fully modernised and equipped with all the necessary information systems for passenger, luggage and aircraft management.
This way, the capital of Huila, located at the south of the country, promotes renovation of the airport infrastructures. This project is part of efforts the Portuguese colony has been making since it was awarded to host the tournament in 2006 to meet the deadline.
Regarding the air navigation systems, Indra will renovate the communications equipment of the control tower as well as the meteorological data equipment. Besides this, it will install the boundary lights and the radio navigation systems (ILS and DVOR). This equipment will supply aircrafts approaching the aerodrome with accurate information regarding direction and distance for assistance in landing manoeuvres.
Indra’s technology brings a significant advance to Lubango airport, since the aircrafts will no longer comply with visual flight rules but with instrument flight in category I instead. This means, the aircraft will be provided with relevant information through several systems when approaching the runway.
These improvements will allow Lubango airport tackle the high increase of flights during those months. The required security levels will not be affected despite adverse weather conditions. The modernisation will also contribute to local economic dynamism.
This turnkey project is an important reference in Africa in the sector of passenger and airport management. Besides this, the company will provide permanent maintenance services from Lubango itself. This is a step forward in Indra’s strategy of becoming a global company not only capable of developing international projects but also of offering its services regardless the location of the client.
Indra is the premier Information Technology company in Spain and a leading IT multinational in Europe and Latin America. It is ranked as the second European company in its sector according to stock market capitalisation, and also the second Spanish company with the most investment in R&D. In 2008, revenues reached € 2,380 M, of which a third came from the international market. The company employs more than 29,000 professionals and has clients in more than 100 countries.