Harare International Airport
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| Harare International Airport | |||
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IATA: HRE – ICAO: FVHA
 HRE
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| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Joint (Civil and Military) | ||
| Operator | Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe | ||
| Location | Harare | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 4,887 ft / 1,490 m | ||
| Coordinates | 17°55′54.5″S 31°05′34.25″E / 17.931806°S 31.0928472°E | ||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 05/23 | 15,500 | 4,725 | Asphalt |
Harare International Airport (IATA: HRE, ICAO: FVHA) is an airport in Harare, Zimbabwe. The airport is operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe and is the hub of Air Zimbabwe. The airport's runway, at 4,725 metres (15,502 ft), is one of the longest in Africa. It compares with OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, whose longest runway measures 4,418 metres (14,495 ft).[1] The reason for this is that both are "hot and high" airports requiring long take-off runs.
Because of a decline in tourism numbers, due to internal political conflicts since 2000, few major airlines now use the airport. In the early 1990s when many foreign airlines refused to fly to South Africa for political reasons, Harare airport was served by many major airlines. It was possible to fly non-stop to Australia and the United Kingdom as well as many European destinations.[citation needed]
The runway is used by both the civilian airport and the Air Force of Zimbabwe whose base is on the southern side of the runway.
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[edit] Facilities
Air Zimbabwe has its head office on the property of the airport.[2] The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe has its head office on level 3 of the airport.[3] When Air Rhodesia existed, its head office was on the airport property.[4]
[edit] Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Namibia | Windhoek [begins 1 April 2012] |
| Air Botswana | Gaborone |
| Air Zimbabwe | Beijing-Capital, Bulawayo, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London-Gatwick, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, Victoria Falls |
| British Airways operated by Comair | Johannesburg |
| Emirates | Dubai [begins 1 February] |
| Ethiopian Airlines | Addis Ababa |
| Kenya Airways | Nairobi |
| South African Airways | Johannesburg |
| TAAG Angola Airlines | Luanda |
[edit] Accidents and incidents
- In July 1984, Vickers Viscount Z-YNI of Air Zimbabwe was damaged beyond economic repair in an accident on the ground. It was withdrawn from use as a result and passed to the airports fire department for use as a training aid.[5][6]
- On 20 September 1987, Douglas C-47A Z-WRJ of Crest Breeders crashed shortly after take-off following a loss of power from the starboard engine. The aircraft was on a cargo flight, all three crew survived.[7]
- On 3 November 2009, Air Zimbabwe Xian MA60 registration UM-239 hit five warthogs on take-off. The take-off was rejected but the undercarriage collapsed causing substantial damage to the aircraft.[8][9]
- On 5 August 2010, airport authorities staged a fake plane accident at Harare International Airport and told the media that it was a real accident.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ Dimensions of Harare International Airport Runway
- ^ World Airline Directory. Flight International. 16–22 March 2004. "78. Retrieved on 3 October 2009. "PO Box AP1, Harare Airport, Harare, Zimbabwe"
- ^ "Contact Us." Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe. Retrieved on 13 February 2011. "Physical Address: Level 3, Harare International Airport."
- ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 10 April 1969. 557. "Head Office: Salisbury Airport. Salisbury. Rhodesia."
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19840799-1. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
- ^ "VH-TVN. Vickers Viscount 756. c/n 374.". Aussie Airliners. http://www.aussieairliners.org/viscount/vh-tvn/vhtvn.html. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
- ^ "Z-WRJ Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19880920-0. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
- ^ "Can pigs fly? In Zimbabwe, it seems they try to". Flight Global. http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/asian-skies/2009/11/can-pigs-fly-in-zimbabwe-it-se.html. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
- ^ "Plane smashes into wild pigs". Straits Times. http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_450666.html. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
- ^ http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Zimbabwe-Air-Crash-Drill-World-Aviation-Officials-Did-Not-Know-About-Hoax-Accident/Article/201008115677600?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_4&lid=ARTICLE_15677600_Zimbabwe_Air_Crash_Drill%3A_World_Aviation_Officials_Did_Not_Know_About_Hoax_Accident
[edit] External links
- Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe
- Harare Airport Review
- Airport information for FVHA at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
