Worst airport to operate in Africa
 

Hey Guys can you tell me which is the worst airport to operate in Africa and Why??
The reason can be High Terrain, Bad Weather, Bad Controllers....

Goma in the DRC certainly should be in the top 10.. It covers all the categories you mentioned (Terrain, bad weather, "controllers") and a lot more!

Havent been there in a while but Malabo in Equatorial Guinea at night made me a blithering wreck, with drunk/stoned soldiers demanding handling fee of $200 before you are allowed to get out of your aircraft, nice big volcano next to the field and the uncanny ability of the air to contain more parts water per part air than anywhere else in the world.

Bad controlling etc etc etc - I am actually off to have a beer just for thinking about it again.

Goma for sure-absolutely no redeeming qualities

will say Kinshasa (N'djili)...........for parking, passengers facilities, fuel etc.....

Safetyman, You forgot to mention the volcanic wall cutting across that runway in Goma.....:eek:

Port Horriblecourt...I mean Port Harcourt must get a mention,not a bad place-just the controllers and a magnet for thunderstorms should put it in top Five.

Airforce1, ja that + the animals on the runway, the UN guys training on the runway, the pedestrian crossings across the runway, the "housing complexes" all along the runway edge, the horrendous apron which is more like a bazaar, the Russians flying with Xponders off/us & lying about their DME's, etc. All covered under the "and lots more" part..

Pretty much Africa standard but the Volcanos in the area (with twisted metal plastered all over them) does make it VERY interesting to fly there.

Hey Stubby4inch, Dont know what post you reading? Noone complaining-just mere observations of worst airports that ones have come across....and I dont care if controllers are doing their best?Does not change the fact that an airport is still unsafe or in a bad location with run down facilitys.
... and guess what S_4inch I do have a job in the real world and just casting back memorys from contract days-its you who obviously who is frustrated and out of work-as you dont have much to add (did your working pilot friends tell you about that airport)
Do you know the real name is actually Kisangani (or was the name just a lucky guess without checkin spelling after that pub talk)-and if you had been there you would prob be able to name that place with apparent hi-jackins, town called Isiro?
You just been rude on the forum here cos you prob not seen Jack in your life time-back to your flite sim on computer back in Canada for you!:hmm:

Port Harcourt is not that bad Airforce1 := give us a break!

On the other hand it seems that no matter what we say in defence nothing good will come out of this issue with a thread titled worst airport to operate in Africa .

Its a shame though with all the money and fun most of us get to pick up here in so called third world countries who need our services and have provided so many of us with jobs for over forty or more years.

I agree with you stubby4inch, though you may have gone a bit too far, but you are right if anyone of us flying out here feel so bad about it here then please go back home and find a job if you can and let us live in peace!!!

I know hundreds of your likes from my 11yrs of flying out here who came here hand in mouth looking for a job with only a few hundred of hrs on pistons who have returned home with good time and experience, now flying for BA, Air France and the likes.

And none have ever posted a thread on pprune saying, Hey this is how I did it and thank goodness Africa was there with its useless controllers, bad runways, incompetent ground staff etc....

None:*

Remember not too long ago places like Thiefrow airport had there own stories too, sorry I meant to say Heathrow.

Zaz

Ps: Bellview Airlines Looking For First Officers And Captains On Its 737/767 Aircrafts. And We Do Fly Into The Airports Mentioned Above.

For F/o 737 Only A Type Is Required And You Get A Direct Entry.
Pm Me If You Need A Mailing Address For Chief Pilot.

Casablanca GMMN- The ATC controllers are living in the 19th century.

Kinshasha - FIH

Without a doubt, even Port Harcourt or Lagos is better than there!!!

Some of my friends in Angola can tell you some horrid stories...

Could not resist.....

1. Goma

MSA 17200 (if I remember correctly)
3rd of runway under lava flow
mostly inhabited by local residents
Moslty cumulus granities covered by the softer version
Summer thunderstorms nothing like it.
Russian aeries ha ha ha ha must have been what WW2 was like
Controllers hmmmmm listen to him and die....

Best contract house and place I ever stayed in no lies..........

2. Kinshasa boys lets not go there..:}
3. Luanda well it just gets worse..:{
4. Kisingani the grey stain in the green jungle massive storms :eek:
5. Mbandaka oh boy I cant say anymore :mad:
6. Larnaca Cyprus man this place is a accident waiting to happen going faster backwards than our african brethren.:ugh:

So many so little time will leave it at that...

Till another Day

seems no matter what topic gets started there are always some who spoil the fun. Started out as a fun forum with opinions from fellow aviators to some defending their livelihood. i think is quiet a good thread. and zazoo if you want, maybe we could change it to worst airport in the world. wont be that much different considering its in the African Aviation section.

This is the African Aviation thread, post impressions of other airports on the relevant ones!

My two cents worth is that perhaps one of worst corruption wise was Robertsfield in Liberia dont know now, though.

But what takes the cherry with bribery and corruption is FIH, pay every inch as you go. Nowhere else is a passengers baggage also scrutised (physically searched) four times by very intimidating police officers and soldiers all in the line to coerce gratuities and bribes, before finaly reaching check-in.

It is so obvious that DRC is the worse place to operate
From comments above

1-Goma DRC 3 People
2-Malabo Guinea E 1 Person
3-Kinshans DRC 3Peole
4-MRU, SEZ, NBO ?? (Don't know the country) 1 Person
5-Port Harcourt Nigeria 1 Person
6-Casablance Moroco 1 Person
7- Luanda Angola 1 Person
8-Kisangani DRC 1 Person

Thats because in the DRC is where alot of contract crews have operated into.
One of the worst places to operate into and out of is Sanaa in Yemen.
All of the previous statements and at 8000 feet....terrain..weather.T\S...atc issues. Great Al-qaida training ground to boot.
Explore the country at your peril.

I'd like to hear from some of the medivac boys. You see them taking off into weather, at night when all the airports are "closed" and end up landing on the most horrific strips sometimes with the guidance of car head lights. The king air is not exactly a 172 either...those boys don't get paid enough!:ok:

Don't know if you guys have flown caravans on UN missions out of Mogadishio but it is something to remenber !
Got to take my hat off to the ATC guys from Moga who kept their outfit runnin unpaid & just because it was their job...
Did I mention the locals shootin at you on climb was a national hobby?...

Since I'm here you mates know of any humanitarian outfits flying in Ghana ?

Thanks:cool: