# Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport (NLA)

> Ndola, ZM · IATA: NLA · ICAO: FLSK · Medium Airport · Cargo Hub

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `NLA` |
| ICAO | `FLSK` |
| City | Ndola |
| Country | ZM |
| Type | Medium Airport |
| Elevation | 1313 m |
| Cargo | ✅ |
| GPS | -12.96167, 28.51667 |

## Description

Opened in August 2021 to replace Ndola's obsolete old airport, Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International (NLA) was built by China's AVIC International for around US$397 million. It serves the Copperbelt industrial region — Ndola, Kitwe and the surrounding copper and cobalt mines — from a site about 14 km from Ndola. A 3,500-metre runway accepts wide-body aircraft, and a dedicated transit cargo terminal rated above 30,000 tonnes a year keeps freight separate from passenger flows. In 2023 the airport handled 18,054 tonnes of cargo, up 9% year on year and largely tied to mining logistics. Copper and battery-grade cobalt dominate exports; time-critical volumes move by air while heavy bulk continues by road and rail to the seaports. Run by the Zambia Airports Corporation, NLA is Zambia's second genuine cargo airport after Lusaka (LUN).

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/simon-mwansa-kapwepwe-international-airport-nla](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/simon-mwansa-kapwepwe-international-airport-nla)*

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*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/simon-mwansa-kapwepwe-international-airport-nla/llm-summary*