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Melchior Ndadaye International Airport
Burundi's Melchior Ndadaye International Airport (Aéroport international Melchior Ndadaye) is located in the extreme northwest of Bujumbura Mairie Province, some 13 min (8 km) from the centre of Bujumbura, the country's former capital city. It serves as a critical gateway to Burundi, facilitating trade, tourism, and regional connectivity. The airport was opened in 1952 as Bujumbura International Airport when the Belgian colonial administration constructed the first airstrip in Bujumbura, and on 1st July 2019 was renamed Melchior Ndadaye International Airport after the first democratically elected president of Burundi who was murdered in a coup d'etat in October 1993, three months after being elected, sparking the decade-long Burundian Civil War. It is the counry's only international airport with the codes IATA: BJM, ICAO: HBBA. | |
Melchior Ndadaye International Airport is served by several airlines, both domestic and international, offering passengers a range of options for their travel needs. Some of the key airlines operating at the airport include Air Burundi, the national flag carrier of Burundi, which operates domestic flights within the country and regional flights to neighbouring countries. RwandAir, Rwanda's national carrier, offering flights to and from Bujumbura, connecting the city with destinations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Ethiopian Airlines, the national flag carrier of Ethiopia, operates flights to and from Bujumbura, providing connectivity to its extensive global network and Kenya's national carrier, Kenya Airways, connects the city with destinations across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Additionally Brussels Airlines operates flights between Bujumbura Belgium, providing a direct link to Europe. The Air Tanzania Company Limited additionally offers flights to Dar es Salaam, with its hub at Julius Nyerere International Airport, and the newly resurrected Ugandan also operates flights to Entebbe. The UN integrated mission in Burundi (BINUB) has also constructed helipads next to the airport and are used by UN helicopters.
Melchior Ndadaye International Airport is one of three airports in Burundi however the other two don't handle international flights. They are at Gitega, serving the current capital of Burundi (and capital of the Gitega Province), and Kirundo, close to the Lac Rwihinda Nature Reserve, a popular destination for bird watchers with its forty nine types of mainly aquatic birds. Another airport, Nyanza-Lac, serving Nyanza-Lac, a city in the Makamba Province of Burundi, is now closed.
Melchior Ndadaye International Airport has witnessed steady growth in passenger numbers over the years. From its very early days on first opening it handled just 628 passengers a day. In 2019, the airport handled over 270,000 passengers per year, marking a significant increase from the previous years. There are no more recent figures. This growth can be attributed to various factors, including increased regional connectivity and tourism development. It is also increasingly used for business travel as Burundi's growing economy has attracted an influx of business travellers seeking opportunities in various sectors, such as agriculture, mining, and telecommunications. |
