Arusha Airport to begin night operations from January 2026, ready for AFCON 2027 traffic

Effective from January 2026, the Arusha Airport will start handling night flights, making the terminal operate for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Edgar Mwankuga, the Arusha Airport Manager, says they are currently installing the Airfield Ground Lighting (AGL) system which is essential for safe aircraft operations, particularly during low visibility conditions such as night-time or adverse weather.

“We expect to complete the project by December 2025 which means planes will be able to start landing at night from next January,” Mwankuga explained, adding the management was bracing for major visitors’ flow towards AFCON 2027 events.

The Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) has already extended the terminal runway stretching it to 1.84 kilometers from the previous 1.64 kilometers, during recent rehabilitation works.

This transforms the airport to be able to accommodate larger aircraft such as ATR 72 and Bombardier Q400 planes.

On the other hand, the terminal apron has been expanded to cover 15,000 square meters, with the management in the process of constructing a second apron on the further end of the airport perimeters.

Tanzania seems to be in the process of upgrading the busy airport in order for the facility to be designated as the official terminal for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations 2027 event which Tanzania organizes together with Kenya and Uganda.

To ensure that the terminal attains the more accomplished status, the Tanzania Airports Authority (TCAA) has already accomplished the rehabilitation and upgrading of the facility, including extending the terminal runway, expanding the apron and building a larger and modern passenger lounge.

The Arusha Airport Manager, Edgar Mwankuga, reveals that the facility is now capable of handling 500,000 passengers, but at the moment, the traffic movement at the terminal is around 450,000 travellers per year on average.

At least 1200 passengers pass through the airport on a daily basis, during peak tourism season.

On the other hand, a total of 150 aircraft land and take-off from the terminal every day, the number which is now expected to double from January 2026, when the airport starts operating around the clock.

“From early next year the airport will start to operate day and night. At the moment, we only work during the day, because the landing lights are yet to be installed,” explained Mwankuga.

The Arusha airport is coincidentally located in close proximity to the AFCON 2027 Stadium, currently under construction, in the city and which makes the management work around the clock to ensure it becomes the official ‘Pamoja’ sporting event terminal in Tanzania.

Despite being a domestic airport, Arusha now also serves as the entry and exit terminal for international flights.

The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority recently temporarily suspended approval for all international flights’ operations at Arusha Airport, in what was described to be ‘until further notice!’

However, the Tanzania Airport Authority (TAA) through the terminal Manager Edgar Mwankuga said Flightlinks continues to run cross border voyages between Arusha and Wilson Airport of Nairobi, Kenya on special license.

As it happens, the Arusha Airport is presently still not designated to operate as an international point of entry or exit, at least according to an authoritative dispatch but can handle foreign aircraft.

As far as the latest communication from the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) is concerned, the Arusha Airport, located in Kisongo area, along the main Dodoma Road, remains licensed strictly for domestic operations.

The labelled ‘Important Notice Regarding International Operations at Arusha Airport,’ members of the Tanzania Aviation Operators’ Association (TAOA) have been informed of the latest updates regarding the claimed ‘International flight operations at Arusha Airport.’

In the official statement recently distributed by the Tanzania Aviation Operators’ Association’s Executive Secretary, Lathifa Sykes explained the current Status of the newly refurbished terminal to be still a domestic airport.

The implication therefore is that, the TCAA is restricting international flights from operating at the Arusha Airport until some few adjustments have been done including upgrading the airport’s license from its current Category C to a higher Category B or A.

The other condition is for an official publication in the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) declaring the terminal to be an international entry and exit point.

Also required is the notification to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) through the Aeronautical Information and Regulation and Control (AIRAC) about the airport’s new international designation.

In addition, the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority wants coordination with immigration, customs, public health, and relevant stakeholders, as well as the revision of Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) to include Arusha Airport.

As for the current Alternative, the operators who are intending to run international flights have been advised to use the usual Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) until the described conditions are met.

The official release says the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, together with Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) and relevant agencies are actively addressing the necessary requirements and will provide further updates.