The Democratic Republic of Congo has signed contracts with four civil engineering firms to rehabilitate, modernise and build 13 airports across the country, with the first deliveries expected at the end of 2028.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba signed the contracts in Kinshasa on Thursday, October 29, 2026, according to business outlet DeskEco. The work is funded by the public Treasury.
Which airports are included
The contracts were split between SAFRICAS, SAFRIMEX, SOKERICO and Modern Construction, CongoRassure reported:
SAFRICAS: Boende (Tshuapa), Kalemie (Tanganyika) and Kikwit (Kwilu).
SAFRIMEX: Bandundu (Kwilu), Bumba and Lisala (Mongala), Tshikapa (Kasaï) and Matadi (Kongo-Central).
SOKERICO: Gbadolite (Nord-Ubangi) and Buta-Zega (Bas-Uélé).
Modern Construction: Gemena (Sud-Ubangi), Mbandaka (Équateur) and Muanda (Kongo-Central).
Beni (Nord-Kivu) and Isiro (Haut-Uélé) are expected to be added in the coming days under a contract with Mont Gabaon, according to the ministry's roadmap as reported by CongoRassure.
What the work covers
INFRASTRUCTURE
DRC Signs Contracts to Modernise 13 Airports, First Deliveries in 2028
Nov 5, 2026
Nov 5, 2026
3 min read
Published
Updated:
The Democratic Republic of Congo has signed contracts with four civil engineering firms to rehabilitate, modernise and build 13 airports across the country, with the first deliveries expected at the end of 2028.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba signed the contracts in Kinshasa on Thursday, October 29, 2026, according to business outlet DeskEco. The work is funded by the public Treasury.
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Which airports are included
The contracts were split between SAFRICAS, SAFRIMEX, SOKERICO and Modern Construction, CongoRassure reported:
SAFRICAS: Boende (Tshuapa), Kalemie (Tanganyika) and Kikwit (Kwilu).
SAFRIMEX: Bandundu (Kwilu), Bumba and Lisala (Mongala), Tshikapa (Kasaï) and Matadi (Kongo-Central).
SOKERICO: Gbadolite (Nord-Ubangi) and Buta-Zega (Bas-Uélé).
Modern Construction: Gemena (Sud-Ubangi), Mbandaka (Équateur) and Muanda (Kongo-Central).
Beni (Nord-Kivu) and Isiro (Haut-Uélé) are expected to be added in the coming days under a contract with Mont Gabaon, according to the ministry's roadmap as reported by CongoRassure.
What the work covers
The programme includes building and lengthening runways, new terminals and control towers, perimeter walls, fire stations, inspection buildings and cargo facilities, according to the same reports.
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The government says the aim is to improve links between provinces, open up isolated areas and boost trade.
Tshikapa changes hands
At Tshikapa, SAFRIMEX takes over from Horizon Massamba Corporation, whose contract was withdrawn in May 2026 after a joint mission found a delay of nearly 11 months, public broadcaster RTNC reported.
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Questions over Beni
Some voices in Nord-Kivu have questioned why Beni-Mavivi airport was not in the first list. Alternance.cd reported that the Conference of Governors had twice described it as urgent. The ministry's roadmap says Beni is due to be added shortly.
What happens next
The ministry has not published the total value of the contracts or individual start dates for each site. XTRAfrica will follow up as work begins and as the Beni and Isiro contracts are signed.
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