DR Congo reopens airport at centre of Ebola outbreak

The main airport in Ituri, the Democratic Republic of Congo province at the epicenter of a major Ebola outbreak, has reopened after a 10-day closure. The government announced the reopening on Tuesday, stating that safety measures are now in place for travelers.

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The authorities suspended all commercial flights to and from the airport in Bunia, the capital of Ituri in the conflict-plagued eastern DRC, allowing only medical and humanitarian planes in.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is currently battling a severe epidemic of the highly contagious hemorrhagic fever. According to the African Union's Africa CDC, the outbreak is suspected to have caused at least 246 deaths in the country and neighboring Uganda.

Commercial flights to and from Bunia, the capital of Ituri in the conflict-ridden eastern DRC, were suspended on May 23. Only medical and humanitarian flights were permitted during the closure. Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba stated that the authorities needed time to implement health protocols to protect travelers.

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The authorities needed to put health measures in place to protect travellers.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Transport confirmed that an assessment of the outbreak monitoring systems had been completed. The ministry concluded that "conditions are now in place for a gradual and safe resumption of flights." The reopening aims to facilitate essential travel while maintaining necessary precautions against the spread of the virus.

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Conditions are now in place for a gradual and safe resumption of flights.