N'djili Airport
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N'djili Airport ( ), also known as N'Djili International Airport and Kinshasa International Airport ( French ''Aéroport international de N'Djili'' or ''Aéroport international de Kinshasa''), serves the city of
Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the Capital city, capital and Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-grow ...
and is the largest of the five international airports in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
(DRC). It is named after the nearby Ndjili River.


History

The airport was inaugurated in 1959, mainly used as a secondary hub for SABENA until 1960 when the Democratic Republic of the Congo became independent, then becoming a major hub for
Air Congo Air Congo S.A. is the flag carrier airline of the Democratic Republic of the Congo launched on 1 December 2024, with its hub at N'djili Airport in Kinshasa. The airline announced it would commence operations by serving domestic destinations. The ...
. In 1998 N'Djili airport was the site of one of the decisive battles of the
Second Congo War The Second Congo War, also known as Africa's World War or the Great War of Africa, was a major conflict that began on 2 August 1998, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just over a year after the First Congo War. The war initially erupted ...
. Rebel forces advancing on
Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the Capital city, capital and Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-grow ...
infiltrated the airport perimeter but were repelled by
Zimbabwean Demographic features of the population of Zimbabwe include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. Population The population of Zimbabwe ...
troops and aircraft arriving to support the government of Laurent Kabila. In June 2015, a new international terminal was opened which can service one million passengers per year. Some computerized upgrades to the arrivals terminal have been implemented in recent years, although corruption remains a problem.


Airlines and destinations


Passenger


Cargo


Accidents and incidents

* On 18 August 1968,
Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...
D 9Q-CUM of
Air Congo Air Congo S.A. is the flag carrier airline of the Democratic Republic of the Congo launched on 1 December 2024, with its hub at N'djili Airport in Kinshasa. The airline announced it would commence operations by serving domestic destinations. The ...
was destroyed by fire. * On 28 August 1984,
Vickers Viscount The Vickers Viscount is a retired British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs. A design requirement from the Brabazon Committee, it entered service in 1953 and was the first turboprop-powered airliner. T ...
9Q-CPD of Zaire Aero Service crashed after takeoff. * On 15 April 1997, shortly before Zaire was renamed as the Democratic Republic of Congo, a
Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...
was hijacked at N'djili Airport. There were six to eight hijackers. * On 13 January 2006, in the ZS-FUN, Learjet 24F accident, an Air Ambulance mission operated by SOS Air Rescue Africa, ZS-FUN was on final approach and cleared to land for a medical evacuation. Upon touchdown the left undercarriage collapsed due to a recent rain which caused an aquaplane. Both pilots and medical crew survived without injury. A secondary aircraft was dispatched after the accident to transfer the patient to Johannesburg, South Africa. The mentioned aircraft remained in Kinshasa for repairs and sold afterwards. * On 4 October 2007,
Antonov An-26 The Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name: Curl) is a twin-engined turboprop civilian and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986.Gordon, Yefim. Komissarov, Dmitry & Sergey. "Antonov's Turboprop Twins ...
9Q-COS of Africa One Congo crashed shortly after take-off from N'djili Airport, killing at least 51 people and injuring a further 30. * On 2 January 2010, Boeing 727-231F 9Q-CAA of Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation was substantially damaged when it departed the side of the runway. * On 21 June 2010, Hewa Bora Airways Flight 601, operated by McDonnell Douglas MD-82 9Q-COQ burst a tyre on take-off. Hydraulic systems and port engine were damaged and the nose gear did not lower when the aircraft returned to N'djili. All 110 people on board escaped uninjured. The airline blamed the state of the runway for the accident, but investigators found no fault with the runway. * On 4 April 2011, a Canadair CRJ-100ER 4L-GAE of Georgian Airways operating under an UN mission as flight 834 from Bangoka International Airport,
Kisangani Kisangani (), formerly Stanleyville (), is the capital of Tshopo, Tshopo Province, located on the Congo River in the eastern part of the central Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the country's fifth-most populous urban a ...
to Kinshasa missed the runway on landing at Kinshasa. The aircraft subsequently broke into pieces and caught fire. Only one survivor was reported out of 29 passengers and 4 crew. The airport was experiencing torrential rain, thunderstorms and low visibility at the time. * On 20 December 2018 a Gomair An-26 registration 9S-AGB crashed 19 nautical miles short of Kinshasa with 7 or 8 people on board. The aircraft was found more than 24 hours later by a local. The aircraft was carrying election materials on behalf of the Central Electoral National Independent Commission (CENI).


References


External links

* * * {{authority control Airports in Kinshasa Buildings and structures in Kinshasa Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command in Central and South Africa Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces World War II airfields in the Belgian Congo Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites Airports established in 1953 1953 establishments in the Belgian Congo