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Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

Julius Nyerere International Airport

Compiled by Bill Gao

Dar es Salaam, Dar-es-Salaam Region (Tanzania)

IATA: DAR ICAO: HTDA

Longest Active Runway

9,843 ft

3,000 meters

Field Elevation

182 ft

55 m MSL

Runway Inventory

2 active

Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

-6.8735°, 39.2073°

LARGE AIRPORT

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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

How ranks work →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

tied #603 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#1,165 of 7558

Top 15.9% percentile worldwide

For airports with equal runway length, the worldwide order does not indicate a length difference.

National Standing (Tanzania)

#4 of 4 in TZ

#5 of 21 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

-1.6%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 DAR in numbers: 9,843 ft longest runway · tied #603 of 650 published · #1,165 of 7,558 worldwide (top 15.9%) · #4 in Tanzania.

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Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Julius Nyerere International Airport is Tanzania's premier international gateway. Its 9,842 ft runway easily accommodates long-haul widebodies operated by Air Tanzania, KLM, and Gulf carriers connecting the nation to global destinations. With the opening of Terminal 3, DAR elevated passenger processing capacity to over 6 million passengers annually while supporting regional Indian Ocean cargo links.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments

Two intersecting runways: primary Runway 05/23 (9,842 ft / 3,000 m) and secondary Runway 14/32 (3,280 ft / 1,000 m).

Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities

Opened in 1954 as Dar es Salaam International Airport; renamed in 2006 in honor of Tanzania's founding father Julius Nyerere. Commissioned the expansive new Terminal 3 in 2019.

Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role

Tanzania's commercial capital hub, positioned 39 NM south of Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume (ZNZ) and 240 NM southeast of Kilimanjaro (JRO).

Data Nuances & Operational Quirks

Coastal tropical Indian Ocean climate at 182 ft elevation; monsoon seasons bring intense convective showers requiring weather radar vectoring on final approach.

📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Tanzania National Civil Aviation Authority · State Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) & ICAO Annex 14 Standards

Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Longest runway 8,000–10,499 ft

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Elevation & National Context

Lowland Aerodrome (<2,000 ft)

DAR lies at 55 m (182 ft), #384 of 650 published airports by elevation and 35.9 percentile among 7,558 worldwide. It is 1,375 ft below the Tanzania median (1,557 ft, 4 airports); MWZ is highest at 3,763 ft, 3,581 ft higher than DAR.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

1 Qualifying Aerodrome in Vicinity

Closest of 1 paved-runway (≥5,000 ft) neighbour within 100 NM: Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ), 39.1 NM, 9,915 ft. ZNZ has the radius's longest runway, 72 ft more than DAR.

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Runway Inventory & National Standing

Primary Runway: 9,843 ft (3,000 m)

DAR runways: 05/23 9,843 × 151 ft asphalt (asp); 14/32 3,280 × 98 ft asphalt (asp). National standing: #4 of 4 in Tanzania; JRO leads by 1,968 ft (11,811 ft). −1.6% vs the 10,000 ft baseline.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
05/23	9,843 ft (3000 m / 3.000 km)	151 ft (46m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
14/32	3,280 ft (1000 m / 1.000 km)	98 ft (30m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	❌ Unlighted	✅ Active

🧭 Comparative Aerodromes (100 NM Radius, ≥5,000 ft Paved)

Great-circle Haversine spatial proximity matching for commercial facilities with paved runway capacity within 100 NM.

Aerodrome Name	IATA	Distance	Longest Runway	Lighting
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (Zanzibar)	`ZNZ`	39.1 NM (72.4 km)	9,915 ft	✅ Lighted

🛡️ Source: OurAirports Open Aviation Database, snapshot 2026-09-01 · Provenance →