Mangai Ii Airport

Mangai Ii, CD 🇨🇩 Closed Airport

ICAO

FZCM

IATA

-

Elevation

1410 ft

Region

CD-KL

Local Time

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Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: -4.083° N, 19.5° E

Continent: AF

Type: Closed Airport

Keywords: FZCM

Terminal Information Not Available
Terminal arrivals and departures are only available for airports with scheduled commercial service and IATA codes.
Nearby Points of Interest

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Airport Information

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Jul 25, 2025
Closure Date

The exact date of closure is not officially documented. However, it is believed that the airport fell into disuse and was permanently closed during the period of intense conflict and economic collapse in the Democratic Republic of Congo, likely between the late 1990s and early 2000s. The closure was a gradual process of abandonment rather than a single decreed event.

Reason for Closure

The closure was due to a combination of factors. The primary reasons include a general breakdown of state infrastructure and lack of funding for maintenance, which were severely exacerbated by the First and Second Congo Wars (1996-2003). The airstrip, being unpaved, required constant upkeep which ceased, allowing it to become overgrown and unusable. Furthermore, its function was likely made redundant by the nearby Mangai Airport (IATA: MAT, ICAO: FZCK), which is located just a few kilometers to the northwest and remains the primary, active airstrip for the town of Mangai.

Current Status

Based on recent satellite imagery, the site of Mangai Ii Airport is completely abandoned and derelict. The former runway is still clearly visible as a long, straight clearing in the landscape, but it is entirely overgrown with tall grass, shrubs, and small trees, rendering it unusable for any aviation purposes. There is no infrastructure remaining, and the land appears to have been reclaimed by nature. It is not being used for agriculture, construction, or any other discernible purpose.

Historical Significance

Mangai Ii Airport was a classic Congolese bush airstrip. Its significance was not strategic or military, but purely functional and humanitarian. In a country with a vast and often impassable road network, such airstrips were vital lifelines for remote communities like Mangai. When active, it would have handled small, propeller-driven aircraft, likely STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) capable, such as Cessna, Pilatus Porter, or Britten-Norman Islander aircraft. Operations would have consisted of non-scheduled charter flights operated by missionary organizations, NGOs (like Médecins Sans Frontières), and small local air carriers. These flights transported essential personnel (doctors, aid workers, officials), medical supplies, and vital goods, connecting Mangai to regional centers like Kikwit and the capital, Kinshasa.

Reopening Prospects

There are no known or publicly discussed plans to rehabilitate or reopen Mangai Ii Airport. The existence of the operational Mangai Airport (FZCK) nearby, which serves the current needs of the community, makes the prospect of reopening this second, abandoned airstrip extremely unlikely. Any available resources for aviation infrastructure in the region would logically be directed towards maintaining and improving the existing active airport rather than restoring a derelict one.

Nearby Airports

Yuki Airport
FZCY
Yuki, CD
Small Airport
~7 km away
Oshwe Airport
FZBD
Oshwe, CD
Small Airport
~74 km away
Bindja Airport
FZBQ
Bindja, CD
Small Airport
~79 km away
Busala Airport
FZCR
Busala, CD
Small Airport
~89 km away
Idiofa Airport
IDF • FZCB
Idiofa, CD
Small Airport
~99 km away
Bongimba Airport
FZBB
Bongimba, CD
Small Airport
~99 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.

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