SIDlarge airport

Amílcar Cabral International Airport

Espargos, Cape Verde

Explore Espargos city guide Navigate to this airport

Routes out

Destinations

ICAO

GVAC

Elevation

177 ft

The gateway in a glance

The Essence of Amílcar Cabral International Airport

SID

Location

Espargos · B · Cape Verde

Connectivity

20 routes · 15 destinations

Position

16.741°, -22.949° · 177 ft elev.

Visa & Entry

Official visa, passport and entry information for Cape Verde is published by its governmen

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A closer look

Living guide content for Amílcar Cabral International Airport — read or listen in 46+ languages.

Language

TravelerPulse profile

Cape Verde's busiest international gateway on Sal Island.

Opened

1962

Location

Espargos, Cape Verde

Amílcar Cabral International Airport (IATA: SID, ICAO: GVAC) is the primary international airport of Cape Verde, located near Espargos on the island of Sal. It serves as the main entry point for tourists visiting the archipelago, particularly those heading to the popular beach resort area of Santa Maria. The airport is named after Amílcar Cabral, the revolutionary leader and national hero of Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau. It handles a significant volume of charter and scheduled flights from Europe, especially during peak tourist seasons. While Praia's Nelson Mandela International Airport on Santiago Island has grown in importance, SID remains a critical hub for international traffic due to Sal's well-developed tourism infrastructure and its strategic mid-Atlantic location.

Terminals

The airport operates a single terminal building handling both international and domestic arrivals and departures.

Getting to & from

Taxis and shuttle buses are the primary means of transport connecting the airport to Santa Maria and Espargos, with no formal public bus service.

Airlines here

Major airlines serving SID include TACV Cabo Verde Airlines (the national carrier), TUI, easyJet, and various European charter operators.

Notable facts

›Named after Amílcar Cabral, a Pan-African revolutionary leader and independence hero.
›Located on Sal Island, one of Cape Verde's most tourism-developed islands.
›The airport's mid-Atlantic position historically made it a refueling stop for transatlantic flights.
›Sal Island's flat, arid terrain and consistent winds made it suitable for early airfield development.
›The airport handles the majority of Cape Verde's international tourist arrivals.

Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.

Route map (15 destinations)

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap © CARTO

Airlines serving this airport

Routes

SID → AMSHV · 73H

SID → LUXLG · 73W

SID → CDGSE · 738

SID → LGWTO · 75W

SID → MANTO · 75W

SID → LGWTOM · 75W

SID → MANTOM · 75W

SID → LISTP · 320

SID → AMSVR · 738

SID → BVCVR · AT7

SID → CDGVR · 752

SID → LISVR · 752

SID → RAIVR · AT7 752 738

SID → SNEVR · AT7

SID → VXEVR · AT7

SID → CGNX3 · 73H

SID → FRAX3 · 73H

SID → HAJX3 · 73H

SID → MUCX3 · 73H

SID → STRX3 · 73H

Aircraft operating here

73H6 routes 75W4 routes Aerospatiale/Alenia ATR 724 routes Boeing 737-8003 routes Boeing 757-2003 routes 73W1 routes Airbus A3201 routes

Hotels near SID

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Where

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City & Place Guide

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Passport, Visa & Immigration

Flying internationally via SID? Check entry, transit and customs requirements for Cape Verde from official government sources.

Cape Verde visa & entry information →Embassy & consulate finder →

Encyclopaedia

Amílcar Cabral International Airport, also known as Sal International Airport, is the main international airport of Cape Verde. The airport is named after the revolutionary leader Amílcar Cabral. It is located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west-southwest from Espargos on Sal Island. Sal is the main hub for the national airline, Cabo Verde Airlines; and serves as a base for carrier Cabo Verde Express. This airport was also one of NASA's locations for a facility to handle the Space Shuttle after reentering from orbit.

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