Gounda Airport

The primary reason for the airport's closure was the catastrophic breakdown of security in northern Central African Republic. The Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park, which the airport exclusively served, was overrun by heavily armed poachers (including Janjaweed from Sudan) and various rebel factions starting in the mid-1990s. This led to a complete halt in tourism, the murder of park staff, and the withdrawal of international conservation organizations. With no tourists to fly in and extreme danger on the ground, flight operations became impossible and economically unviable. The park's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage in Danger site in 1997 marks the period when the airport's function effectively ceased.

The site is an abandoned and derelict airstrip. Satellite imagery clearly shows the outline of the approximately 1,200-meter (4,000-foot) dirt/grass runway, but it is overgrown with vegetation and is completely unusable for aircraft without extensive rehabilitation. The former tourist camp and park headquarters at Gounda are in a state of ruin. The area remains extremely insecure and is intermittently occupied by various armed groups, the few remaining eco-guards, or UN (MINUSCA) patrols. The airstrip has no current aviation function.

Gounda Airport was a vital piece of infrastructure for the Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park. Its main purpose was to support the park's once-thriving tourism industry, flying in international visitors for high-end safaris. It also served as a critical logistical hub for conservation and park management, allowing for the transport of researchers, supplies, and anti-poaching personnel to the extremely remote location. The airstrip was essential for aerial surveillance to monitor wildlife and combat poaching. Operations were typically handled by light charter aircraft, such as the Cessna Caravan or Pilatus Porter, flying from the capital, Bangui.

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening Gounda Airport in the foreseeable future. The security situation in the region remains highly volatile and outside of effective state control. Any potential for reopening is entirely contingent on a lasting peace agreement, the disarmament of rebel and poaching groups, and a massive, internationally-funded effort to restore the national park's security, infrastructure, and decimated wildlife populations. These conditions are not expected to be met for many years.