A fire broke out Tuesday morning at Beni Airport, commonly known as Mavivi, in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The airport is currently undergoing upgrade work.

According to Radio Okapi, the blaze started in the kitchen of a restaurant inside the terminal building. The wooden structure was rapidly consumed by the flames.

The fire completely destroyed the building, which housed a passenger waiting area, check-in counters and administrative offices of the Civil Aviation Authority (RVA). North Kivu’s military governor, Evariste Somo Kakule, said the building had been constructed in 2010.

Major General Evariste Somo Kakule visited the site after the incident and said investigations were underway to determine the cause of the fire. He ruled out the possibility of an attack. The Beni area remains security-sensitive due to the presence of armed groups.

Fire response operations were led by teams from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), which deployed fire trucks in coordination with the Congolese National Police (PNC). Teams worked to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby installations, including parked aircraft and fuel depots.

Despite the damage, air traffic continued. According to local sources, passenger and baggage screening is now being carried out temporarily in the open air.

The incident comes as Mavivi Airport is undergoing a modernization project aimed at upgrading it to international status. The works were officially launched in December 2025 by Infrastructure and Public Works Minister John Banza. The project includes extending the runway to about 3,600 meters in length and 45 meters in width.

The project, being carried out by the company Services Vihumbira (SSV), aims to provide the region with modern airport infrastructure, improve connectivity and support the economic development of North Kivu.

Timothée Manoke