Iringa Airport
Iringa / Nduli Airport Uwanja wa Ndege wa Iringa / Nduli (Swahili) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Aerodrome in 1960s | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Government of Tanzania | ||||||||||
| Operator | Tanzania Airports Authority | ||||||||||
| Serves | Iringa | ||||||||||
| Location | Nduli, Tanzania | ||||||||||
| Opened | 1982 | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 4,678 ft / 1,426 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 7°40′10″S 35°45′05″E / 7.66944°S 35.75139°E | ||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  IRI Location of airport in Tanzania | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Sources: TCAA[1] GCM[2] Google Maps[3] | |||||||||||
Iringa Airport (IATA: IRI, ICAO: HTIR), also known as Nduli Airport,[4]: 30 is an airport in Tanzania serving Iringa and the surrounding Iringa Region. It is 17 kilometres (11 mi) northeast of the municipality. The airport's single asphalt runway lies parallel to the A104 trunk road.[4]: 30 The airport was opened in 1982. In 2022, work including a runway expansion and the construction of a new terminal building began. The airport remained operational during construction, and it reopened to large aircraft traffic in 2025.
History
[edit]Planning for the airport started in 1950.[5] A paved runway 1,679 m (5,509 ft) long was constructed in 1970–1980, and the airport officially opened in 1982. Its original layout included a terminal building capable of accommodating 100 passengers, a small air traffic control (ATC) tower, and an unpaved car park. The airport also hosted a small firehouse, a helipad, two taxiways, and an apron.[4]: xxiii–xxv
Expansion
[edit]Iringa Airport's runways and facilities were in poor condition and in need of major repair and upgrade.[4]: 35 In 2018, it was one of 11 airports whose expansion feasibility studies had been completed.[6]
The project was divided into two construction phases. Under each phase, one side of the original runway remained closed, reducing its effective length to 600 m (2,000 ft).[4]: 65 Phase 1 involved the reconstruction of the runway, taxiways, apron, and access road; construction of new security fencing, lighting, and a fire tender house; and installation of a new power supply system. The runway was to be extended to 2,100 m (6,900 ft). Phase 2 involved the construction of a new terminal building, ATC tower, and sewer and drainage system; installation of new equipment; and land scarping.[4]: 67–68
Phase 1 was funded by the Tanzanian government, while phase 2 was funded by the World Bank through the Tanzania Transport Integration Project.[4]: 2 The project cost about TSh 68 billion (US$26 million).[7] The project required the acquisition of 16,466 m2 (177,240 ft2) of land, displacing 97 households and economically affecting 137 households.[4]: xxxiii Compensation totalled about TSh 3.3 million (US$1,200).[4]: 67
Construction began on 26 July 2022. During the project, the airport remained operational. A temporary taxiway was set up during phase 2 while part of the runway was under construction.[8][4]: 65 The airport reopened to large aircraft traffic on 22 February 2025.[9]
Airlines and destinations
[edit]| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Auric Air | Dar es Salaam |
| Air Tanzania | Dar es Salaam[10] |
| Precision Air | Dodoma[11] |
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "List of Aerodromes in Tanzania" (PDF). Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ "Airport information for IRI" – via Great Circle Mapper.
- ^ Google Maps - Iringa
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Final Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Proposed Upgrading of Iringa Airport, Iringa Region (PDF) (Report). TANROADS. October 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ^ "Iringa Airport". Tanzania Airports Authority. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022.
- ^ "Nduli Airport in Iringa Region set for major construction". The Citizen. 3 April 2018. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ^ Simbaya, Friday (9 February 2025). "Iringa Airport nears completion, major flights to begin on February 22". The Citizen. Archived from the original on 8 October 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ^ AIP Supplement (PDF) (Report). Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority. 3 April 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ^ Simbaya, Friday (22 February 2025). "Large aircraft resume flights to Iringa after eight years". The Citizen. Archived from the original on 24 September 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ^ "Large aircraft resume flights to Iringa after eight years | The Citizen". www.thecitizen.co.tz. Archived from the original on 24 September 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ "Precision Air Adds Dodoma – Iringa in March 2025". Aeroroutes. Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
External links
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