• VINCI Airports completes first phase of Cape Verde airport modernisation

• New €142 million programme targets terminals, runways, retail expansions

• Investment aims to boost traffic and support tourism sector

French group VINCI Airports said it has completed the first phase of an airport modernisation project in Cape Verde and launched a new 142 million euro investment programme.

The first phase involved 80 million euros of work, including runway upgrades at Sal and São Nicolau airports. It also covered improvements to passenger terminals, reconfiguration of aprons and aircraft stands, the installation of self-service check-in kiosks and upgrades to digital and IT systems.

Over the next three years, the second phase will include terminal expansions, new retail and commercial areas, and runway extensions at several airports. The investments fall under a concession awarded in July 2022 by the Cape Verdean government, covering four international airports and three airfields.

The concession is part of a strategy to boost airport traffic and support the tourism sector, which accounts for nearly 25% of Cape Verde’s GDP, according to the French Treasury.

VINCI Airports said passenger traffic across the network rose by 60% between 2022 and 2025. The airline industry was still heavily affected in 2022 by Covid-19 restrictions, but has seen a broad-based recovery since 2023.

Henoc Dossa