Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Moshoeshoe I International Airport serves Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, from the town of Mazenod some 18 km southeast of the city centre. It is a high-altitude aerodrome sitting at over 5,300 feet, with a long ILS-equipped main runway capable of handling jet airliners, making it an interesting and demanding destination for the simulator pilot.
Moshoeshoe I International Airport is the principal airport of Lesotho, operated by the country's Department of Civil Aviation and located at Mazenod, a short distance southeast of Maseru. It is named after Moshoeshoe I, the nineteenth-century king who founded the Basotho nation, and today handles scheduled international air services alongside general aviation traffic. For the sim pilot it offers a high-altitude African field with a long hard-surfaced runway, an ILS approach and full air traffic control, in contrast to the many unattended strips found elsewhere on the continent.
The airport lies at Mazenod, about 18 km (11 miles) southeast of downtown Maseru, close to the border with South Africa. It is a controlled aerodrome, with approach, ground and tower services provided under the callsign Maseru.
The field has two physical runways. The main runway, 04/22, is a hard-surfaced, lit runway equipped with an ILS on the 22 approach; recorded lengths are 9,830 ft for runway 04 and 10,501 ft for runway 22. The secondary runway, 11/29, is hard-surfaced and lit, with a length of 3,288 ft in each direction. Field elevation is 5,325 ft.
Air traffic services are provided under the callsign Maseru, with Approach on 120.7 MHz, Ground on 121.7 MHz and Tower on 118.5 MHz. The main runway, 22, is served by an ILS approach.
As a controlled aerodrome with dedicated approach, tower and ground frequencies, arriving and departing traffic should expect to operate under air traffic control instructions rather than a standard uncontrolled circuit; pilots should contact Maseru Approach in good time before entering the airport's airspace.
Moshoeshoe I International Airport was built in 1982 under the government of Leabua Jonathan to replace the older Mejametalana Airport, giving Lesotho a runway capable of handling Boeing 727 jet airliners and a more efficient link to the wider world. The construction of the new airport required the relocation of certain indigenous clans and tribes from the site, a move that remains a point of historical controversy in Lesotho. The airport is named in honour of Moshoeshoe I, king of Lesotho from 1822 to 1870.
The airport continues to serve as Lesotho's principal international gateway, with scheduled airline service linking Maseru to Johannesburg-O.R. Tambo. It remains under the administration of Lesotho's Department of Civil Aviation.
