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Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have reopened the Bunia Airport in the northeastern province of Ituri, the main entry point for humanitarian and medical operations in the region affected by an ongoing Ebola outbreak.
The decision, announced on Tuesday by the transport ministry, follows a reassessment of the public health situation and comes amid a reported decline in suspected Ebola cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The airport had been restricted to humanitarian and emergency flights since late May, when the government suspended commercial air traffic to strengthen containment measures.
Officials said the gradual resumption of flights will facilitate the rapid deployment of health personnel, medical supplies, and humanitarian assistance to affected areas, where access has been constrained by both insecurity and logistical challenges.
The reopening comes as health authorities reported a sharp reduction in suspected cases, which fell to 116 from more than 900 earlier in the week after several cases were reclassified as other illnesses or unrelated febrile conditions. Despite the decline in suspected cases, more than 300 confirmed infections and dozens of deaths have been recorded since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
The outbreak, centered in the Ituri province, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. Unlike the more widely known Zaire strain, no licensed vaccine is currently available for this variant, leaving containment efforts reliant on surveillance, contact tracing, isolation, and infection prevention and control measures.
The virus has also been detected in neighboring Uganda, where health authorities have confirmed additional cases linked to cross-border transmission.
While the WHO has described the reduction in suspected cases as a positive development, officials cautioned that the outbreak remains active and that sustained vigilance is required, particularly in remote and conflict-affected areas with limited health care capacity.
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