Transportes Aéreos de Angola (TAAG) Airlines announced Friday that it will increase the frequency of its flights between Luanda, the capital of Angola, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, to six times a week, starting Dec. 11.

In a press release, the national carrier said that Sao Paulo is a strategic route for the airline, as it serves as a hub of connection between Latin America, Africa, and Europe.

The Luanda-Sao Paulo route will operate daily flights, except Wednesdays, with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

This comes a few weeks after Angolan President Joao Lourenco launched the new Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport and unveiled the airport’s cargo operations.

During the opening ceremony, the president thanked all the project’s builders, including the Chinese contractor, China National Aero-technology International Engineering Corporation (AVIC-ENG).

“We have just inaugurated and put into service this important infrastructure for the nation and the continent, which will not only serve Angola but also serve as a crucial hub for airport transportation in Africa and the world,” he stated.

Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport is 40 kilometers southeast of Luanda, with a designed capacity of 15 million passengers per year and a 130,000-metric-ton cargo capacity.

Chen Feng, the charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Angola, emphasized the importance of the new airport project for Angola’s socio-economic development.

Chen said the project is a crucial strategic initiative for Angola and a key project in the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Angola.

During the construction, the project provided thousands of local jobs and trained many local technicians.