# Nelson Mandela International Airport (RAI)

> Praia, CV · IATA: RAI · ICAO: GVNP · Large Airport

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `RAI` |
| ICAO | `GVNP` |
| City | Praia |
| Country | CV |
| Type | Large Airport |
| Elevation | 70 m |
| Cargo | ❌ |
| GPS | 14.94113, -23.48473 |

## Description

VINCI Airports has run Nelson Mandela International Airport (RAI/GVNP) in Praia since July 2023, holding 70 per cent of a 40-year concession alongside ANA Aeroportos de Portugal with 30 per cent, under a contract signed in July 2022. The scale of the freight business is modest: reported cargo throughput was around 969 tonnes in 2017, which places RAI firmly in the category of an international passenger airport rather than a cargo station. The airport sits about three kilometres northeast of central Praia on Santiago island and replaced the older Francisco Mendes airport in 2005. Air freight moves almost entirely as belly cargo on passenger flights to Lisbon and to neighbouring West African destinations; no dedicated cargo terminal or scheduled freighter programme is confirmed. In practice that suits spare parts, courier traffic, express consignments and small consolidations, while palletised volume is usually better routed by sea. The port of Praia is only about four kilometres away, keeping sea-air combinations and final delivery legs short. Within Cabo Verde, Amílcar Cabral (SID) on Sal is the alternative with longer intercontinental runways and more international frequencies, and Lisbon (LIS) is the customary transfer point for European connections.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/nelson-mandela-international-airport-rai](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/nelson-mandela-international-airport-rai)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/nelson-mandela-international-airport-rai](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/nelson-mandela-international-airport-rai)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/nelson-mandela-international-airport-rai/llm-summary*