Maun Airport

Maun Airport (IATA: MUB, ICAO: FBMN) is an international airport serving the town of Maun in the North-West District of Botswana. It is on the north side of the town and is accessible by shuttle bus or taxi.

Maun International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorCivil Aviation Authority of Botswana
ServesMaun, Botswana
Hub for
Elevation AMSL3,093 ft / 943 m
Coordinates19°58′21″S 23°25′50″E
Websitecaab.co.bw
Map
MUB
Location of the airport in Botswana
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
8/26 3,700 12,139 Asphalt
Sources: GCM[1] Google Maps[2] SkyVector[3]
Apron Airport Maun (2015)

Maun Airport serves as the main gateway to the Okavango Delta and the Moremi Game Reserve. Many tour operators offer chartered flights over the Delta and to Botswana destinations such as the Makgadikgadi Pans, one of the largest seasonal wetlands in Africa. There are also daily scheduled flights to destinations in Botswana and South Africa.[4][5]

Wilderness Air operates regular charter flights from its Windhoek-Eros-hub, Namibia to Maun.[6]

The Maun VOR-DME (Ident: MNV) is located 1.66 nautical miles (3.07 km) off the approach threshold of Runway 08, south of centerline. The Maun non-directional beacon (Ident: MN) is located on the field.[7][8]

Early history 1925-1939

The aircraft were awaited as they brought news of the outside world, mail, medicines, foodstuffs, and above all, new people to a community hundreds of kilometres from the nearest big town.

The first planes to land here were before World War II – in the 1930s, just a mere 30 or so years after the Wright brothers made their historic first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

The landing strip was then what is today Maun's main street, the strip later being moved away from the town centre to the present site of the airport.

The earliest known flights over the Okavango took place in July 1925, and were part of a survey of rivers in the region, using aircraft based in Livingstone. Two Airco D.H. 9 type, numbers 142 and 144 of the then Union Defense Force of South Africa, were used, piloted by Capt. C.W. Meredith and Lieut. L. Tasker. They routed to Livingstone from Johannesburg via Bulawayo.[9]

Airlink commenced direct flights between Cape Town and Maun since March 2016.[10]

In October 2016, Air Namibia suspended scheduled flights to Maun airport.[11]

In May 2018 government officials confirmed their commitment to refurbish and upgrade the existing airport building.[12]

In December 2019 Mack Air, a charter airline of Botswana, announces plans to commence scheduled operations to Windhoek (Namibia), Kasane (Botswana) and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) early 2020.[13]

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Air Botswana Gaborone, Johannesburg–OR Tambo, Kasane, Victoria Falls
AirlinkCape Town,[14] Johannesburg–OR Tambo[15]
Mack Air Windhoek–Hosea Kutako

Accidents

In March 2000 a Cessna 414 crashed on its way from Gaborone to Maun. The pilot and a passenger walked for over 200 kilometres (120 mi) to find help.[16]

See also

References
  1. Airport information for Maun Airport at Great Circle Mapper.
  2. Google Maps - Maun
  3. SkyVector - Maun Airport
  4. http://www.tourismupdate.co.za/article/110676/Botswana-Air-Namibia-to-suspend-Maun-flights
  5. Air Botswana, 2009
  6. "Wilderness Air » Botswana". www.wilderness-air.com. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  7. "Maun NDB (MN) @ OurAirports". ourairports.com. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  8. "Maun VOR-DME (MNV) @ OurAirports". ourairports.com. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  9. "www.ngamitimes.com/Archives/". The Ngami Times. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  10. "Cape Town gets direct flight link to Botswana's Okavango Delta". Traveller. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  11. http://www.tourismupdate.co.za/article/110676/Botswana-Air-Namibia-to-suspend-Maun-flights
  12. Pelontle, Kedirebofe (2018-05-11). "Botswana: Maun Airport Terminal Building On Cards". Botswana Daily News (Gaborone). Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  13. https://www.google.com/search?q=mack+air+maun&safe=active&rlz=1C1CHZL_enZA826ZA826&sxsrf=ACYBGNTl4sn6DvDQbaQ6we1CfMQtcyqqxQ:1575281910776&source=lnms&tbm=nws&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiu2tm13pbmAhUZSxUIHZuMDuoQ_AUoAHoECAoQCA&biw=1366&bih=657
  14. "SA Airlink Adds Cape Town - Maun Service from March 2016". Airlineroute.net. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  15. https://victoriafalls24.com/blog/2016/06/26/air-namibia-suspend-flights-maun/
  16. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/668059.stm
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