Luanda: The launch of the new direct air route by TAAG - Angola Airlines from Agostinho Neto International Airport to Guangzhou represents a strategic milestone in the deepening of political-economic and cultural relations between Angola and China, and opens new eras of efficiency in bilateral exchange, the Chinese ambassador to Angola, Zhang Bin, said on Tuesday, in Luanda.
According to Angola Press News Agency, speaking at the launch of the new TAAG Angola-China air connection, the diplomat highlighted that civil aviation has the capacity to "build bridges between peoples" and bring economic and commercial relations closer together in a tangible way. The entry into operation of this route represents another important result of cooperation between the two countries in the field of connectivity, a fact that marks a new stage in bilateral cooperation.
For the head of the Chinese diplomatic mission, this transcontinental connection goes beyond the concept of a mere 'air bridge' intended to facilitate travel and intensify logistical mobility. In this sense, he characterized it, essentially, as a path of friendship structured to promote mutual learning between civilizations and strengthen the bonds of affection and historical proximity shared between the two peoples.
'I am convinced that, with the direct flight, exchange and cooperation in the areas of politics, economics, commerce, culture, tourism and education will become even more dynamic, deepening mutual knowledge and friendship between the two peoples', he asserted.
At the business level, the ambassador highlighted that the consolidation of this regular line significantly favors direct contact between corporations, chambers of commerce, and financial and investment institutions from both nations. He added that the continuous flow will create conducive conditions for large-scale business cooperation and industrial coordination.
The diplomat also maintained that the route will have a decisive impact on the continued expansion of Sino-Angolan economic and commercial cooperation, optimally serving the sustainable development and mutual prosperity of both States. On the other hand, Zhang Bin promised operational success for the Angolan flag company on this new direct route, hoping that the initiative will reach increasingly broader horizons in the future of commercial aviation.
The Icolo e Bengo/Guangzhou commercial route, a flight lasting around 13 hours, comes into operation on the 23rd of this month, from Dr. Ant³nio Agostinho Neto International Airport, in the town of Bom Jesus (about 40 kilometers from the capital Luanda), province of Icolo e Bengo. The route's launch ceremony was presided over by Angola's Minister of Transport, Ricardo Viegas de Abreu, and witnessed by the Minister of the Environment, Ana Paula de Carvalho, as well as the president of the TAAG Board of Directors, Cl³vis Lala Rosa, and local authorities.
