In the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), President Felix Tshisekedi ended his visit to Kisangani, in the province of Tshopo, on Saturday October 26 with the inauguration of the Bangoka international airport. The first stone of this gigantic project was laid in 2017 under the regime of Joseph Kabila, with the work finishing in 2023. With this airport infrastructure, the Congolese government intends to open up this still isolated part of the country, particularly abroad.
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With our correspondent in Kisangani, Joseph Kahongo
In front of the Kisangani international airport terminal, President Felix Tshisekedi cut the symbolic ribbon to the cheers of the audience. He then visited the building, capable of handling more than 300 passengers during peak hours.
In his speech during the ceremony, the Minister of Transport Jean Pierre Bemba underlines all the advantages for the province of Tshopo: “ By inaugurating this airport, we are also opening the way to new opportunities, we are creating jobs, we are facilitating markets and we are strengthening links between the different provinces of our country. This airport aims to welcome more international flights. »
Since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and due to its low attendance, Bangoka airport no longer received international flights.
Jean Bamanisa, senator and former governor in the region, lists the possibilities to compensate for the lack of passengers in Kisangani: “ In our plan it was a question of us being able to transform the gold to be able to export right here at the airport. And also this airport should serve as a logistics base. Because it is possible to have a technical workshop here so that we can do aircraft maintenance here, and then the piloting center too.. »
In DRCout of 252 airports and aerodromes 38 are operational and only 20 regularly receive flights.
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