DR Congo reopens airport at centre of Ebola outbreak

The main airport in Ituri, a province in the DR Congo at the center of an Ebola outbreak, reopened on Tuesday after being closed for 10 days for safety reasons, according to the government.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a serious outbreak of highly contagious haemorrhagic fever, which is believed to have claimed at least 246 lives in the country and nearby Uganda, according to the African Union’s health agency, Africa CDC.

On May 23, authorities halted all commercial flights to and from Bunia Airport, the capital of Ituri in the conflict-hit eastern DRC, permitting only medical and humanitarian aircraft.

Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said the authorities needed to put health measures in place to protect travellers.

On Tuesday, the transport ministry announced that after reviewing how the outbreak was being monitored, authorities determined that conditions are now right for a gradual and safe restart of flights.