Geita Airport (IATA: GTC, ICAO: HTGE) is a small regional airport in northern Tanzania serving the city of Geita. It is located near the south western shores of Lake Victoria approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from the city Chato.[2] The airport has the longest runway and only asphalt runway in the Geita Region.
Geita Airport Uwanja wa Ndege wa Geita (Swahili) | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Government of Tanzania | ||||||||||
| Operator | Tanzania Airports Authority | ||||||||||
| Location | Chato, Geita Region, Tanzania | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 3,898 ft / 1,188 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 2°44′32.36″S 31°42′24.32″E / 2.7423222°S 31.7067556°E | ||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  GTC Location of Geita Airport. | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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History edit
Construction of the airport began in 2017 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of the town of Chato and 90 kilometres (56 mi) west of the regional capital Geita.[2] The project approximately cost TSh 40 billion and was entirely funded by the Government of Tanzania. The airport was built to serve the region of Geita, a region that produces more than half of the countries gold exports.[3]
The airport got its first scheduled flight in January 2021 by Air Tanzania connecting Julius Nyerere International Airport and Mwanza Airport.[4]
President Magufuli edit
The airport is located close to Tanzania's 5th president John Magufuli home town. During various trips to his home region in 2019 and during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Magufuli decided to stay at home, the airport hosted various regional heads of state for bilateral meetings. These include
- Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya on 5 July 2019[5]
- Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda on 13 July 2019[6] and on 13 September 2020[7]
- Filipe Nyusi, President of Mozambique on 11 January 2021[8]
- Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia on 25 January 2021[9]
Airlines and destinations edit
Passenger edit
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Tanzania | Dar es Salaam, Mwanza |
References edit
- ^ "AERODROMES (AD) HTXX" (PDF). Tanzania CIvil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ a b "United Republic of Tanzania Govt Tender for Construction of New Chato Airport in Geita Region - 19". TendersOnTime. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ^ "Tanzania: Geita Airport to Receive Scheduled Flights Soon". allAfrica.com. 2020-12-14. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ^ Shida, Yohana; Geita (2020-12-31). "Tanzania: Atcl Launches Direct Flights to Geita Airport". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ^ "President Uhuru Kenyatta arrives in Chato on a private visit". The East African. 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ^ "President Museveni meets Magufuli on 'pilgrimage' to Tanzania". State House of Uganda. 14 July 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ Masare, Alawi (2020-09-14). "Tanzania: Magufuli, Museveni Give Green Light to $3.5 Billion Pipeline Project". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ^ mozambique. "Tanzania: Mozambique President Nyusi lays foundation stone for Chato hospital - Watch". Mozambique. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ^ "Six issues dominate Tanzania, Ethiopia presidents' meeting in Chato". The Citizen. 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2021-11-26.