As part of our commitment to helping States develop safe, secure, and sustainable air transport systems, ICAO offers capacity development and implementation services. Operating under the policy guidance of the ICAO Assembly and Council, ICAO supports the implementation of technical cooperation and assistance projects tailored to each State’s priorities.
With a portfolio of active projects in 115 countries, ICAO brings deep expertise, neutrality, and cost-effectiveness to civil aviation development initiatives worldwide. These services are delivered in line with our Implementation Support Policy, which ensures coordination, consistency, and efficiency across all areas of assistance.
This policy, adopted by the ICAO Council in 2022, reinforces a unified “One-ICAO” approach to implementation support. It ensures that all assistance—whether funded by States, development partners, or other entities—is delivered in a coordinated and harmonized manner, aligned with States’ specific needs. ICAO implements around 250 projects annually, with budgets ranging from under USD20,000 to over USD120 million. These efforts span infrastructure upgrades, regulatory improvements, and training programmes, all designed to strengthen States’ long-term capabilities in aviation safety, security, efficiency, and sustainability.
One example of ICAO’s implementation support is a major technical cooperation project currently underway in Angola, where we are helping the government modernize the country’s Air Navigation Systems (ANS) infrastructure. We’ve share the brochure for the full scope of this airport project, at the end of this article.
The initiative includes:
- Procurement and installation of air/ground voice communication systems (VHF/HF)
- Procurement and installation of Aeronautical Information Management systems (AIM) with AIS to AIM transition
- Procurement and installation of navigational aids (DVOR/DME)
- Procurement and installation of ADS-B and MLAT surveillance systems for the entire FIR and four CTRs
- Training programmes for ANS, AIM, and CNS personnel
- Airspace restructuring and transition support from procedural control to radar vectoring
Key milestones achieved to date include the provisional commissioning of the AIM system, marking critical progress in the AIS-to-AIM migration for advanced aeronautical data management, and the full commissioning of VHF voice communication systems, which has significantly improved clarity and reliability for pilot-ATC communications.
From 10 to 12 March 2025, a major collaborative milestone was reached when Luanda hosted the Global Site Acceptance Test (GSAT) for the extension of VHF coverage across the Luanda Flight Information Region (FIR). This testing followed the January 2024 signing of a technical cooperation agreement between ICAO, ENNA, and JOTRON. The project’s scope is ambitious: the upgrade of six existing radio sites and the establishment of seven new ones, each outfitted with modern VHF radio systems, shelters, antenna masts, solar power, backup generators, and perimeter security.
The GSAT was not just a technical exercise—it was a demonstration of what’s possible through effective coordination, mutual trust, and sustained commitment. Teams from ICAO, ENNA, JOTRON, and other partners worked side by side to conduct rigorous live-traffic testing and system validation. On 12 March 2025, the successful signing of the GSAT certificate marked more than a technical handover—it was a shared achievement by all parties involved and a testament to their dedication to delivering reliable and secure air-to-ground communications for Angola.
This achievement reflects the broader scope of the project, which also includes NAVAID systems, ADS-B/MLAT surveillance, the transition from AIS to AIM, airspace restructuring, concept of operations and procedure design, and extensive training programmes for Angola’s ATS, CNS, and AIM personnel. Each element is being implemented with the same spirit of collaboration that made the GSAT such a success.
The remaining deliverables, including NAVAIDs, HF voice communication, ADS-B/MLAT, Airspace restructuring and personnel training are at varying stages of implementation. Slated to become a regional aviation hub, the AIAAN, which is located 45 km southeast of Luanda, features a 15 million-passenger annual capacity (expandable to 65 million) and spans 30 square kilometers. Key facilities include:
- Dual parallel runways, a state-of-the-art terminal, and cargo hub.
- Advanced ATC tower, radar systems, and meteorological infrastructure.
- Dedicated fire rescue, fuel supply, and various utility centers.
Angola chose to work with ICAO on this project, because of our expertise in large-scale ANS modernization and commitment to building ENNA’s long-term operational capacity. The modernization will accommodate projected air traffic growth and align with global safety standards under ICAO’s Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU) framework. With AIAAN’s full opening to international passenger operations nearing, the ANS modernization marks a critical step in Angola’s strategy to transform its aviation sector in their quest to becoming a regional aviation hub.