Temporal closure of Douala Airport takes effect

The Douala International Airport have suspended flights for over twenty-one days due to ongoing rehabilitation works

The Airport will from today March 1-21, 2016, handle flights meant for Douala as a result of the rehabilitation of the tarmac and other facilities in the port city.

The Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport will beginning today March 1, 2016 be the theatre of air traffic – the lone entry and exit route from Cameroon. This is sequel to the commencement of modernization works at the Douala International Airport with the runway, aircraft taxiways and aprons expected to be refurbished as well as the passenger terminal to be renovated and restructured.

At the Nsimalen International Airport yesterday February 29, 2016, preparations were at peak, with all management and operational staff ensuring that their operations are successful in all safety and security. In the main hall of the airport, some 150 staff transferred from the Douala International Airport for the three-week exercise could be spotted sorting out last-minute operational guidelines.

The office attendants of the Director of the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport, the Civil Aviation Authority where batches are issued and staff of airline companies who are temporarily lodged at the airport, finalised preparatory tasks. Temporary offices set up for airline companies in the main hall and at the East wing of the tarmac are gradually being taken up by their occupants.

Meanwhile, technical, logistical and managerial aspects have already been handled, with the Cameroon Airports Company, ADC, ready for the heavy traffic, stated the Director of the Airport, Thierry Nkodo. He revealed that that apart from Arik Air and Taag Angola Airlines that decided to suspend their flights during the three-week re-routing to Yaounde, the other airline companies operating in Cameroon have confirmed their flight schedules.

20 Flights Expected a Day

The hitherto near-idle Nsimalen-Yaounde Airport will witness a pretty different scenario since it went operational in October 1994. Traffic flow is expected to double, with close to 20 aircraft, as against close to 10 aircraft, expected to arrive and depart everyday. It is a busy flight schedule with the first flights expected to have landed in the wee hours of this March 1. The weekly flight schedule indicated that Turkish Airlines was supposed to arrive the airport at 12:05 am followed by two CAMAIR-CO flights at 12:50 A.M, and 2:45 A.M respectively.

Other aircraft from airline companies like Allied Air, Royal Air Maroc, Ceiba International, Air Côte d’Ivoire, Asky Airlines, Kenya Airlines, Karinou Airlines, Ecair, Trans Air Congo, Rwand’Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Cronos Airlines, Brussel’s Airlines and Air France will also land at the airport according to the daily flight schedule that will see the last at 11:50 P.M Over 21 flights will arrive and the same number will depart from the airport this March 1. Two night stops have been programmed.

Safety, Security Reinforced

The management of the airport insists on safety and security measures. A safety and security assessment impact carried out identified vulnerable areas that have since received reinforcement. All safety and security threat indices at the Douala International Airport have been transferred to the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport, said Thierry Nkodo.

Measures to limit any threats have been put in place with access to some parts of the airport strictly forbidden. Passengers have been invited to scale down their accompanying delegations.