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Bukoba Airport

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Bukoba Airport
Uwanja wa Ndege wa Bukoba (Swahili)
The airport in 2025
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of Tanzania
OperatorTanzania Airports Authority
ServesBukoba, Tanzania
LocationSokoine Road, Bukoba, Kagera Region, Tanzania
Elevation AMSL3,766 ft / 1,148 m
Coordinates1°19′50″S 31°49′10″E / 1.33056°S 31.81944°E / -1.33056; 31.81944
Websitewww.taa.go.tz
Map
BKZ is located in Tanzania
BKZ
BKZ
Location of Bukoba airport.
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
13/31 1,600 5,249 Asphalt
Statistics (2024)
Passengers44,259
Aircraft movements1,146
Cargo (tonnes)31
Sources: TAA[1] TCAA[2] Google Maps[3] GCM[4]

Bukoba Airport (IATA: BKZ, ICAO: HTBU) is a domestic airport located in the city of Bukoba, the capital of the Kagera Region in northwest Tanzania. It lies about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from Bukoba's centre on the western shore of Lake Victoria.[5]: 7  The airport was first constructed in the 1940s by the British colonial administration. A series of reconstruction works from 2008 to 2016 expanded and paved its runway and constructed a new terminal building.

The Bukoba non-directional beacon (Ident: BK) is located on the field.[6][7]

History

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Bukoba Airport was constructed in the 1940s by the British colonial administration during World War II.[8]

Before 2008, Bukoba Airport had a single 1,280 m (4,200 ft) long variable width runway, a taxiway, and an apron, all gravel surfaced.[9]: ii, 2  Beginning in 2008, the airport was expanded in two phases. The first phase, funded by the Tanzanian government, began in 2008 and lengthened the runway to 1,600 m (5,200 ft). The second phase, which began in 2010, paved the runway, taxiway, and apron with bitumen and constructed a new terminal building and utility infrastructure.[5]: 4–5  Construction was complete by November 2016.[10]: 35 

The expansion cost about TSh 20.5 billion (US$8.8 million).[11] Phase 2 of the expansion required the acquisition of land, leading to the demolition of a church and the relocation of Tumaimi Primary School to the Mafumbo area.[5]: 12–14  Compensation amounting to TSh 900 million (US$550,000) was pledged by deputy minister for transport Charles Tizeba in 2014.[12]

Airlines and destinations

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AirlinesDestinations
Air Tanzania Mwanza
Auric Air Mwanza, Rubondo
Precision Air Dar es Salaam, Mwanza

Statistics

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PassengersYear24,00027,00030,00033,00036,00039,00042,00045,00048,00020132014201520162017201820192020PassengersAnnual passenger traffic

Accidents and incidents

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  • On 6 November 2022, Precision Air Flight 494 from Dar es Salaam with 43 people on board crashed into Lake Victoria while attempting to land at the airport during bad weather and low visibility. The crash resulted in 19 fatalities, including both pilots who drowned before rescue workers could reach them.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "TAA Annual Statistics Report – 2024" (PDF). Tanzania Airports Authority. p. 64. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  2. ^ "List of Aerodromes in Tanzania" (PDF). Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  3. ^ "Google Maps - Bukoba". Archived from the original on 2022-11-07. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  4. ^ "Airport information for BKZ" – via Great Circle Mapper.
  5. ^ a b c Resettlement Action Plan Update for the Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Bukoba Airport (PDF) (Report). Tanzania Airports Authority. August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  6. ^ "Bukoba NDB (BK) @ OurAirports". ourairports.com. Archived from the original on 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  7. ^ "SkyVector: Flight Planning / Aeronautical Charts". skyvector.com. Archived from the original on 2018-08-28. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  8. ^ "Bukoba Airport". Tanzania Airports Authority. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  9. ^ Feasibility Study and Detailed Design for the Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Bukoba Airport – Preliminary Design Report Environmental Impact Assessment (PDF) (Report). Tanzania Airports Authority. July 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  10. ^ GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF PLANS AND BUDGET FOR 2017/18 (PDF) (Report). Ministry of Finance. November 2016. ISBN 978-9987-829-03-3. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  11. ^ "Upgrading and rehabilitation of Bukoba Airport". Tanzania Airports Authority. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  12. ^ Mulisa, Meddy (4 January 2014). "Bukoba residents to be compensated". Daily News (Tanzania). Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  13. ^ Mtulya, Athuman; Lasteck, Alfred (6 November 2022). "Tanzanian Precision Air plane crashes into Lake Victoria". BBC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
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