Mbandaka: Marked and Equipped, the National Airport Now Operational Day and Night

Mbandaka, February 22^nd, 2026 (CPA).- Built before independence, the national airport of Mbandaka was commissioned by the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Transport during his visit on Saturday to Mbandaka, in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, aimed at assessing the level of execution of the modernization works at the airports of Mbandaka and Gemena initiated by the government. “The objective of our visit is to assess the progress of our airport modernization works. We have installed runway lighting that will allow aircraft to land at any time, even in bad weather (…); we have come to evaluate the ongoing works and the commissioning of the runway lighting system at Mbandaka and Gemena airports,” said the Acting Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority, Louis-Blaise Londole. “With these facilities, it will now be possible for our airlines to operate safely night flights or flights in reduced visibility conditions, an opportunity that had not been available to them for more than twenty years; this is the long-cherished dream of mobility and opening up by air, both day and night,” he added. In line with the vision of the Head of State and under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba, the Director of the RVA called for patriotism from RVA Mbandaka staff and the population to ensure the proper protection of this infrastructure, which is an asset for the province. Addressing the provincial governor, he pleaded for instructions to be given to the various services to ensure the security of the airport and the equipment installed there. Earlier, Mr. Alphonse Liyoko Wese, Commander of Mbandaka National Airport, had appealed for the President of the Republic to also invest in the rehabilitation of the airport’s administrative building, which dates back to the country’s independence. He also requested that the airport runway, initially 2 km long, be extended to three kilometers, as well as the construction of additional taxiways or exit routes. The Governor of Equateur Province, Bobo Boloko, his deputy, members of the provincial government and several other provincial personalities attended the ceremony, which also marked the 54th anniversary of the Civil Aviation Authority.