Tecomaji Airport

The airport's closure is a direct result of the ongoing military conflict and security crisis in Cabo Delgado. Insurgent activity, which began escalating in 2017, made the region unsafe for tourism and general aviation. The lodges and infrastructure the airport served were abandoned or destroyed, eliminating its economic purpose and operational viability.

The airport is completely abandoned and non-operational. Analysis of recent satellite imagery shows the single runway is unmaintained, significantly overgrown with vegetation, and in a state of disrepair. There are no signs of any aviation activity. The surrounding tourism infrastructure it once supported is believed to be destroyed or derelict. The site is currently unused and is slowly being reclaimed by nature.

Tecomaji Airport was a private airstrip crucial to the high-end, low-volume eco-tourism industry within the Quirimbas National Park. Its primary function was to provide exclusive fly-in access for guests visiting remote luxury coastal lodges, such as the former Tecomaji Lodge. Operations typically involved small charter aircraft (e.g., Cessna Caravan, Pilatus PC-12) transporting international tourists from the main regional airport in Pemba (POL/FQPB) to this secluded part of the coast. It represented a key piece of infrastructure for a niche market that depended on pristine, secure, and remote environments.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Tecomaji Airport. Any potential for its revival is entirely contingent on two long-term factors: 1) The complete and sustainable resolution of the insurgency in Cabo Delgado and the restoration of regional security. 2) A massive future reinvestment to rebuild the luxury tourism infrastructure that the airport was built to serve. Given the current focus on security and humanitarian aid in the province, the reopening of a private tourism airstrip is considered extremely unlikely in the foreseeable future.