• Project first announced in August 2024

• Project includes terminal building, control tower, new 2,200-metre runway, and technical facilities.

• Flights will be temporarily redirected to Tshiumbe airfield during construction.

After more than a year of anticipation, modernization work at Lodja airport in Sankuru province is finally set to begin. The announcement was made on August 14, 2024, by Eddy Shungu, Provincial Director of the Congolese Agency for Major Works (ACGT), during the reception of the first shipment of equipment for the site.

The initial delivery included drums of fuel, bags of cement, and a loader shovel, with other equipment for the development of Lumumba-ville also received. A second batch is already stored in Bena Dibele and Kinshasa, ready for future rotations, while the remainder will arrive progressively as the project advances.

The modernization project, officially launched in December 2023, is being carried out by the Congolese company Adi Construct under the Sino-Congolese cooperation program. Its duration is estimated at two years, though investment figures have not been disclosed.

Plans include a new terminal building, control tower, and a runway extended from 1,600 to 2,200 metres and widened to 30 metres, paved with hydraulic concrete. Access ramps and a technical block will also be constructed, allowing the airport to accommodate wide-body aircraft, including Airbus A320s. During construction, flights will be rerouted to Tshiumbe, the third-largest town in the province.

Supervision will be provided by the ACGT, in collaboration with the Agence de pilotage, de coordination et de suivi des conventions entre la RDC et ses partenaires privés.

This modernization aims to open up Sankuru province, improving trade and mobility between Lodja and major cities such as Kinshasa, Mbuji-Mayi, Goma, Bukavu, and Kisangani.

Ronsard Luabeya