The expansion and modernization of the Kinshasa N’djili Airport are set to begin after more than three years of stoppage. The resumption of the project was announced by the Minister of State, Minister in charge of Territorial Development, Guy Loando Mboyo.
Plans for implementation of the project emerged back in the early 2010s while its pre-feasibility studies began in 2013. The project was officially launched in 2018 with the Chinese company Weihai International Economic & Technical Cooperative Co., Ltd (WIETC) as the contractor. Unfortunately, it stalled with the feasibility studies and the physical work only 60% and 9.8% were done respectively.
Reportedly, the project stalled due to lack of funds. Its cost is approximately US$ 354M, 15%, (i.e., US$ 58M) of which should be paid by the Congolese government while Exim Bank of China would provide the rest. Only US$ 20M has been provided to date.
Scope of the N’djili Airport Expansion and modernization project
Also known as N’Djili International Airport and Kinshasa International Airport, the facility serves Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Featuring a 1 million passengers capacity terminal and a 4,700 meters concrete surface runway, the airport is the largest of the four international airports in the country.
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Owing to expansion and modernization projects, the airport’s capacity will increase fourfold. The scope of the project includes the construction of a new terminal 4 times larger than the current one. Equipped with six gangways, three of which are for large aircraft, the new terminal will have a capacity of 42,000 square meters.
Additionally, the terminal will have an aircraft parking area, a viaduct, a tarmac, and a 2800-meter diversion of Lumumba Boulevard. The space between the Air terminal and the boulevard would house an Air City, according to the RVA (Régie des Voies Aeriennes).
