Nelson Mandela International Airport

Praia International Airport is an airport on Santiago Island in Cape Verde. It was opened in late 2005, replacing the old Francisco Mendes International Airport. 
It is about 3 kilometres northeast of central Praia in the southeastern part of Santiago Island. At the beginning of 2012, the airport was renamed after Nelson Mandela.
The first flight to the new airport was on October 23, 2005. Even though the airport serves the capital and largest city, Praia, Cape Verde's main international airport is Amílcar Cabral International Airport. This is on the smaller island of Sal.