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Abeid Amani Karume International Airport is the principal gateway to the Zanzibar Archipelago, sitting on Unguja Island a few kilometres south of Zanzibar City. It offers a single long, lit hard-surface runway with an ILS, and handles a busy mix of regional and long-haul international traffic amid a strikingly tropical, coastal setting. For the visiting sim pilot it combines a straightforward instrument approach with an attractive island backdrop and an over-water arrival from the south.
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ICAO: HTZA) is the main airport serving the Zanzibar Archipelago, located on Unguja Island close to Zanzibar City, Tanzania. It is operated by the Zanzibar Airports Authority and acts as a hub for ZanAir, while also receiving a wide range of regional African and long-haul international carriers. The field is of interest to a simulator pilot both for its single generously long runway with an ILS approach and for its tropical island situation, with the final approach from the south flown over open water.
The airport lies on Unguja Island in the Zanzibar Archipelago, approximately 5 kilometres south of Zanzibar City, the Zanzibari capital. It sits close to the coast, with the southern approach and departure paths taking aircraft out over the sea.
The airport has a single physical runway, 18/36, measuring 9,944 feet with a hard surface. The runway is lit and equipped with an ILS serving runway 18. Field elevation is 46 feet.
Zanzibar Approach operates on 121.2 MHz, the same frequency used by Zanzibar Tower for the aerodrome control service. Zanzibar Ground works on 121.7 MHz, and the ATIS broadcast is available on 126.4 MHz.
Approaches and departures to the south are flown over the water, a point noted by the airport's own operator, which pilots should bear in mind when planning arrivals or departures on that side of the field.
The airport sits directly on the coast of Unguja Island, roughly 5 kilometres south of Zanzibar City, with the sea forming an obvious reference along its southern boundary and approach path.
The airport was previously known as Kisauni Airport and later as Zanzibar International Airport before being renamed in 2010 in honour of Abeid Amani Karume (1905-1972), the first president of Zanzibar. Terminal 1, a small building on the northern side of the current terminal, dates from the period of the British protectorate of Zanzibar and now serves as the airport office rather than handling traffic. Construction of a new terminal, now Terminal 3, began in January 2011 under the Chinese Beijing Construction Engineering Group, replacing a much smaller apron and building; after delays it was inaugurated in September 2020 and became operational in early 2021.
The airport today operates as the main international gateway to Zanzibar, with Terminal 3 handling international flights and Terminal 2 used for domestic services and some international traffic. It serves as a hub for ZanAir and is served by a substantial number of scheduled and charter airlines connecting Zanzibar to East Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
