The Democratic Republic of Congo has restored passenger flight service to the main airport serving the province most severely affected by the current Ebola outbreak, according to an official government announcement that reverses a decision some locals said had isolated them from essential resources.
Authorities in Kinshasa had announced the previous month they were halting commercial passenger service to Bunia, the primary airport serving Ituri province, after the initial Ebola infections were identified there. Medical and humanitarian aircraft operations continued with required government authorization.
According to a statement released Monday evening by Congo’s transport ministry, necessary measures are now established “to allow a gradual and safe resumption of air transport activities” with the airport resuming operations without delay.
The ministry outlined that all travelers will undergo temperature checks prior to departure and upon landing, must sanitize their hands before boarding, and anyone displaying fever symptoms will be prohibited from flying.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, marking Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak, on May 15, with the World Health Organization quickly designating it a public health emergency of international concern.
Health officials report the outbreak, now ranking as the third-largest on record, went undetected for several weeks, leaving authorities working from behind and facing challenges in containment efforts.
The airport reopening decision came after a visit from WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who informed media Monday that he observed positive developments in the response efforts, citing five certified recoveries. However, he emphasized the necessity to expand testing and treatment capabilities while building trust in health workers.
Monday’s latest government data shows 321 confirmed Ebola cases with 48 confirmed fatalities.
The disease has spread to 15 of Ituri’s 36 health zones, with additional cases documented in North and South Kivu provinces as well as in neighboring Uganda.
The International Rescue Committee issued a warning Monday that the outbreak likely exceeds official statistics in both scale and progression.
The humanitarian organization indicated the virus may have been circulating for as long as three months prior to the first official case confirmations in mid-May.
