Seronera, the main airfield serving the Serengeti National Park has been closed down for five days with the management saying one week hiatus of operations is for maintenance.
A statement from the Tanzania National Parks Headquarters in Arusha indicates that the Seronera aerodrome closes down business from the 8th to the 12th of February 2025, which means flights to and from the airfield should commence from February 13.
The dispatch did not clarify what type of maintenance are taking place at the airstrip and whether they are for the passengers’ arrival and departure lounge or the adjacent runway.
The airstrip should however be open again in time for Valentines’ Day enabling lovebirds that would want to fly into the country’s third biggest National Park for the celebrations to do so with ease.
And if it is of any consolation the Tanzania National Parks notice says people can still use the other six airstrips found in the Serengeti plains.
Seronera, which is the Primary Airstrip, the largest most commonly used portal in Serengeti, is located in the heart of the National Park, within the Seronera settlement center; about 2 hours’ drive from both the Naabi hill and Ndabaka gates.
The aerodrome, which can handle much larger aircrafts, is a landing pad for more than eight flight companies.
Tourists’ properties served by the Seronera airstrip include the Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge, Ikoma Tented Camp, Four Seasons Serengeti Safari Lodge, Lemala Ewanjan Tented Camp, plus the ‘And Beyond’ Serengeti Under Canvas, among others.
With the recent completion of the Lobo Airstrip and Serengeti South (Kusini) airfield, the Serengeti National Park, has a total of seven aerodromes to cater for tourists and other travellers connecting from other parts of the country onto the endless plains.
The other airstrips serving the Serengeti plains include the Kirawira, Sasakwa Grumeti, Kogatende and the Fort Ikoma airfield.