Departure
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MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Osvaldo Vieira International Airport, ICAO GGOV, is the sole international gateway serving Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, lying in the Bissalanca district on the northern edge of the city. A single long hard-surface runway with ILS approach and full lighting makes it a straightforward destination for simulator pilots exploring West African aviation, with a history stretching back to Portuguese colonial and wartime use.
Osvaldo Vieira International Airport, also known locally as Bissalanca Airport, is the only international airport in Guinea-Bissau and the principal air gateway to the capital, Bissau. For a simulator pilot it offers a single very long runway equipped with an ILS, set within a compact but historically significant airfield that has passed through colonial, military and civil hands over its history.
The airfield lies in the Bissalanca district, within the city-sector of Safim, which is conurbated with Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. It sits at coordinates 11.8889N, -15.6557W and an elevation of 108 feet. As the country's only international airport, it is the principal focus of controlled airspace in the Bissau area.
Osvaldo Vieira has a single physical runway, 03/21, a hard-surfaced strip measuring 10,499 feet on the 03 threshold and 10,498 feet on the 21 threshold. Both directions are lit, and an ILS is provided for approaches to runway 21.
Air-to-ground communication is available on 343.2 MHz. Approach control can be contacted on 123.9 MHz, with Tower on 124.3 MHz. The runway 21 approach is served by an ILS.
The airfield opened in May 1955 as Francisco Craveiro Lopes Airport, named during a visit by the Portuguese president of that name, though it was generally known locally as Bissalanca Airport. Before its opening, Bissau had relied on the airport at Bolama, the former colonial capital, which required travellers to complete their journey by ferry. During the Guinea-Bissau War of Independence the site was converted for military use, serving as Base Aerodrome No. 2 (AB2) of the Portuguese Air Force between 1961 and 1965, and subsequently as Air Base No. 12 (BA12) from 1965 to 1974. The airport takes its current name from Osvaldo Vieira, a prominent nationalist commander of the PAIGC and FARP during the independence struggle. Intense fighting in and around Bissau forced the airport's closure on 7 June 1998, and it did not reopen until July 1999, when a TAP Portugal flight carrying Prime Minister Francisco Fadul and other dignitaries landed there to mark its return to service.
Osvaldo Vieira remains the only international airport in Guinea-Bissau, handling scheduled international services to destinations in the region and beyond. Its single long hard-surface runway with ILS capability supports year-round operations.
