Luena Airport

The primary reason for closure was military redundancy and strategic consolidation. Following the end of the Angolan Civil War, the extensive military infrastructure was scaled down. The need for a large, secondary military airbase near Luena diminished, and air assets and operations were moved to the more modern, primary Luena Airport (IATA: LUO, ICAO: FNUE). The old base was left to decay due to a lack of purpose and funding for maintenance.

The site is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. Satellite imagery confirms that the long runway, taxiways, and dispersal hardstands are still visible but are severely deteriorated, cracked, and extensively overgrown with vegetation. The infrastructure is unusable for any form of aviation. The land is not being used for any other official purpose (such as agriculture or industrial development) and is slowly being reclaimed by the surrounding natural environment.

This airfield was a major military airbase with significant strategic importance for decades. It likely originated as the Portuguese Air Force's Base Aérea Nº 1 during the Angolan War of Independence (1961-1974), when the city was known as Vila Luso. It served as a critical hub for counter-insurgency operations, logistics, and air support in the vast eastern region of Angola. During the subsequent Angolan Civil War (1975-2002), it remained a key strategic asset, heavily used by the Angolan government forces (FAPLA/FAA) and their Cuban allies. The base handled a wide variety of military aircraft, including transport planes (e.g., Nord Noratlas, Antonov An-26), fighter-bombers (e.g., Fiat G.91, MiG-21/23), and helicopters.

There are no known or credible plans to reopen or rehabilitate this airport. The Angolan government has focused its resources on upgrading and maintaining the primary Luena Airport (FNUE), which adequately serves the current civilian and military needs of the Moxico province. The prohibitive cost of clearing the land and completely rebuilding the runway and support infrastructure, combined with the lack of a strategic or economic need for a second airport in Luena, makes its reopening highly improbable.