Of the nine inhabited Cape Verde islands there are only two without an airport. On the islands of Brava and Santo Antão the old airports were closed some years ago on grounds of safety. On Brava it was closed in the 1990’s and the one on Santo Antão was closed in 2004. The Cape Verde government has now announced that Santo Antão may have an airport once again. Currently the only way to Santo Antão is by ferry.
A feasibility study has been undertaken by a Spanish company and was presented to a ministers and local representatives from Santo Antão. Further studies are proposed to consider flight issues, such as the approach to the runway. Also a masterplan is to be prepared which will look at the development of the infrastructure needed to support an airport. It will include an environmental assessment, which is significant on an island such as Santo Antão. Being a mountainous island, the construction of an airport will need careful consideration. An airport for Santo Antão will make travel to the island much easier, especially for people who don’t like boats.
