Kamuzu International Airport Explained

Lilongwe International Airport
Kamuzu International Airport
Iata:LLW
Icao:FWKI
Type:Public
Owner:Department of Civil Aviation
City-Served:Lilongwe, Malawi
Hub:Malawi Airlines
Elevation-F:4,035
Elevation-M:1,230
Coordinates:-13.7892°N 33.7808°W
Pushpin Map:Malawi
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Malawi
Pushpin Label:LLW
Metric-Rwy:y
R1-Number:14/32
R1-Length-M:3,540
R1-Length-F:11,614
R1-Surface:Asphalt
Stat-Year:2009
Stat1-Header:Passengers
Stat1-Data:296,190
Footnotes:Source: DAFIF[1]

Kamuzu International Airport, also known as Lilongwe International Airport, is an international airport serving Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi.

History

The airport was built in 1977 by the Nello L. Teer Company,[2] taking over most airline operations from Old Lilongwe Airport (FWLE) some 6 km west of the city centre. It is owned by Airport Developments Limited.

As of 1997, British Airways and KLM operated flights between Lilongwe and Europe.[3]

In August 2014, the Government of Malawi requested assistance from the Government of Japan to rehabilitate the passenger terminal buildings and install a more advanced air surveillance system, ADS-B at the airport.[4] The rehabilitation project was scheduled to run for 33 months and included expansion of the International terminal, rehabilitation of the existing terminal building, and installation of security and aerial surveillance systems. The work was conducted by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and in April 2019 the new terminal buildings were handed over to the Government of Malawi.[5]

Facilities

The airport is at an elevation of 4035feet above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 14/32 with an asphalt surface measuring 3540mx45mm (11,610feetx148feetm).

Airlines and destinations

Cargo

Accidents and incidents

Kamuzu International Airport has been the site of a small number of aviation related incidents since its opening.

2023

22 August: A Cessna 150 operating for Eastrise Aviation, a pilot training institute based at KIA, was conducting a training flight with two occupants outbound from KIA. Approximately 14 minutes after takeoff, the pilot contacted air traffic control and informed them that they were experiencing an emergency and requested clearance for immediate landing. Clearance was granted and the pilot attempted to glide towards the airport but crashed about 1.2 kilometers short of the runway. Both occupants escaped unharmed and there were no casualties. The subsequent investigation determined that the cause of the accident was engine failure. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft produced a thudding sound as it crashed and was covered in a cloud of dust. The aircraft suffered damage to its nose, wheels, propellers and wings but the cabin was intact.[6]

Notes and References

  1. from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
  2. Web site: Nello L. Teer Company - Image Gallery. 4 June 2015.
  3. Malawi . International Tourism Reports . 1997 . 1 . 33 . Economist Publications.
  4. Web site: KIA Expansion Project. 12 October 2023.
  5. Web site: Japan to hand over new Kamuzu International Airport terminal building to Malawi. 12 October 2023.
  6. Web site: Training Aircraft Crashes Near KIA. 22 August 2023.

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