Lukala Airport (FZAP)

Location: Lukala, Kongo Central
Status: Active
ICAO Code: FZAP
IATA Code: none
Coordinates: -5.499030°, 14.529084°

Lukala is a small industrial town in the Kongo Central Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), located along the RN1 highway and Matadi-Kinshasa railway. It is best known for its cement production, centered around the Cimenterie de Lukala (CILU), the country’s oldest and most significant cement plant. Established in 1921 by the Société des Ciments du Congo (CICO) under Belgian colonial rule, the factory was strategically placed near limestone deposits and a railway link to facilitate cement distribution. Initially dependent on labor-intensive vertical kilns, the plant transitioned to rotary kiln technology in 1955, supported by the Zongo hydroelectric dam, which improved energy efficiency. After Congolese independence in 1960, the cement industry remained vital, with the factory passing through various ownerships, most recently operated by HeidelbergCement Group.

The town’s infrastructure reflects its industrial heritage. Lukala’s segregated colonial layout once divided European managers and African workers, a structure that persisted into the post-colonial period. Today, the factory continues extraction and production, though challenges such as infrastructure degradation, fluctuating cement demand, and environmental concerns persist. The area surrounding the plant is marked by quarries, abandoned kilns, and company housing, remnants of its colonial past. Studies, such as Robby Fivez’s “The Rubble in the Jungle”, highlight Lukala’s role in colonial industrialization, emphasizing how its “cementscape” shaped the broader Congolese built environment. Despite economic shifts, Lukala remains a key hub for cement supply in the DRC, supporting urbanization projects across the country.

Lukala CICO — A part of the cement plant in Lukala as seen from National Road 1, photographed by me in 2018.

Historical Background

Lukala was originally served by Lukala Airport (old), which was located west of the town. However, at some point between 1966 and 1984, the airport was relocated to its current position east of Lukala.

This relocation must have taken place before 1984, as the new runway is already visible on the oldest available satellite imagery from that year. Despite this, official aviation datasets and aeronautical charts have never been updated to reflect the new location. The 2015 MAF Airports Directory still lists coordinates pointing to the old site, and Lukala Airport is absent from publicly available aeronautical charts.

Current Status (as of 2025)

Although international sources continue to list incorrect data, Lukala Airport (FZAP) is locally well known and remains in active use.

The airport features a 1,015-meter-long dirt runway, with markings at each end. Analysis of 2021 satellite imagery confirms that, for a small dirt airstrip, the airport appears well-maintained, operational, and fully usable.