Goma International Airport
Encyclopedia
Goma International Airport is an airport serving Goma
, a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
.
200 m by 1000 m wide flowed onto the runway and through the city center as far as the lake shore, covering over the northern 1 km of the runway and isolating the terminal and apron which were only connected by taxiway to the northern end. The lava can easily be seen in satellite photographs, and aircraft can be seen using the 2 km southern section of the runway which is clear of lava. A temporary apron has been made at the side of the operational part of the runway. A Douglas DC-8
was left stranded on the terminal apron, which is now used by military and relief helicopters.
DC-9 overshot the runway during an aborted takeoff and crashed into the marketplace immediately to the south of the airport, killing over 40 people.
Flight 3711, operated by McDonnell Douglas MD-82 9Q-CAB overran the runway on landing, suffering substantial damage. The overrun area was contaminated by solidified lava
.
Goma
Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the western branch of the Great Rift Valley, and Goma lies only 13 to 18 km due south of the crater of the active...
, a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
.
Airlines and destinations
2002 Nyiragongo eruption
Initially built with a paved 3 km runway and a large terminal and apron, the airport has not recovered from the 2002 eruption of the volcano Nyiragongo, 14 km to the north. The airport couldn't handle any wide-bodied aircraft except for freight operations run by relief agencies and the United Nations. A stream of fluid lavaLava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
200 m by 1000 m wide flowed onto the runway and through the city center as far as the lake shore, covering over the northern 1 km of the runway and isolating the terminal and apron which were only connected by taxiway to the northern end. The lava can easily be seen in satellite photographs, and aircraft can be seen using the 2 km southern section of the runway which is clear of lava. A temporary apron has been made at the side of the operational part of the runway. A Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
was left stranded on the terminal apron, which is now used by military and relief helicopters.
2008 crash
On 15 April 2008, a Hewa Bora AirwaysHewa Bora Airways
Hewa Bora Airways was an airline based in Barumbu, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was one of Congo's largest airlines and operates regional and domestic services. Its main base was N'djili Airport. "Hewa Bora" is Swahili for "Fresh Air". The company was on the European Commission's...
DC-9 overshot the runway during an aborted takeoff and crashed into the marketplace immediately to the south of the airport, killing over 40 people.
2009 overrun
On 19 November 2009, Compagnie Africaine d'AviationCompagnie Africaine d'Aviation
Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation is a Congolese airline based in the Building CAA in Kinshasa. It was established in 1992 and operates passenger and cargo services to eight domestic destinations. Its main base is N'djili Airport...
Flight 3711, operated by McDonnell Douglas MD-82 9Q-CAB overran the runway on landing, suffering substantial damage. The overrun area was contaminated by solidified lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
.