Amílcar Cabral International Airport, located on Sal Island, is considered the largest airport infrastructure in the country. It features a runway measuring 3,000 meters in length and 45 meters in width, along with an aircraft apron capable of accommodating up to 10 aircraft simultaneously. The airport has the capacity to process 2,000 passengers per hour, making it a strategic infrastructure for aviation in Cabo Verde.

Originally conceived as an airfield owned by the Italian company LATI (Linee Aeree Transcontinentali Italiane), its construction was completed in 1939. Closed during World War II (1939–1945), Sal Airport was later acquired by Portugal, rehabilitated, and reopened on June 15, 1949.

Initially operating with low traffic, the airport began to see increased use from 1960 onwards, particularly with the so-called Friendship Flights operated by TAP and Panair, which connected Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, with stopovers in Sal and Recife. During this period, South African Airways (SAA) played a key role in the development of Sal Airport, launching commercial flights between Johannesburg, Windhoek, Sal, and Rome in August 1963.

SAA’s interest prompted the Portuguese administration to invest in the airport’s modernization, including the construction of a new runway, taxiways, aircraft apron, and a new passenger terminal. These works took place between 1963 and 1966. To enhance safety and support operational regularity, the airport was equipped in 1973 with an ILS (Instrument Landing System), upgrading the runway to precision category and enabling operations under adverse weather conditions.