Airport guide
Nouakchott International AirportIATA code NKC
Nouakchott International Airport (NKC/GQNO) is the primary air passenger gateway serving Nouakchott, Mauritania in Africa. The airfield connects travelers with essential regional transit routes and operating carrier options.
- Serves
- Nouakchott, Mauritania
- Codes
- NKC · GQNO
- IATA · ICAO
- Time zone
- Africa/Nouakchott
- Region
- Africa
Nouakchott International Airport (NKC/GQNO) is the primary air passenger gateway serving Nouakchott, Mauritania in Africa. Operating on Africa/Nouakchott local time at coordinates 18.100°, -15.950°, the airfield functions as an active commercial transit hub for scheduled regional and international flights. Travelers navigating Nouakchott International Airport (NKC) are encouraged to confirm terminal layouts, ground transport connections into Nouakchott, and flight schedules with their operating carrier prior to travel.
Nouakchott International Airport details
- IATA code
- NKC
- ICAO code
- GQNO
- City
- Nouakchott
- Country
- Mauritania
- Region
- Africa
- Time zone
- Africa/Nouakchott
- Coordinates
- 18.310°, -15.970°
- From OurAirports
Codes, region and time zone come from the Originfacts airport record (last updated 10 Jul 2026). Fields marked otherwise come from the dataset named on them. None are verified by hand against Nouakchott International Airport’s own pages.
NKC airport facts
- Size class
- Large airport
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026); OurAirports’ own classification
- Elevation
- 3 m (9 ft)
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026)
- Opened
- 23 June 2016
- Per Wikidata (opens in a new tab) (retrieved 5 Oct 2026) — date of official opening
- Passengers, 2017
- 350,373
- Per Wikidata (opens in a new tab) (retrieved 5 Oct 2026), citing asecnaonline.asecna.aero (opens in a new tab)
- Nearest airport with scheduled flights
- Nouadhibou International Airport NDB · 312 km
- OurAirports scheduled-service flag; straight-line distance calculated
Runways at NKC
Source: OurAirports (opens in a new tab) runways data (public domain), retrieved 5 Oct 2026. Not an aeronautical source — not for navigation.
2 open runways, all lit. Longest 16/34: 3,400 m, concrete.
| Runway | Length | Width | Surface | Lighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16/34 | 3,400 m11,155 ft | 60 m | concrete | Lit |
| 06/24 | 2,400 m7,875 ft | 45 m | concrete | Lit |
Routes from NKC
Originfacts does not track any routes from NKC yet, so no route records are listed here. Check current schedules with the airlines or the airport’s own site.
Airlines with a hub at NKC
Per Wikidata (opens in a new tab) (retrieved 5 Oct 2026): airlines whose “airline hub” property names NKC, with no end date and not recorded as dissolved. Community-edited; hubs change.
Where NKC is
25 km north
Nouakchott International Airport lies 25 km north of Nouakchott city centre in a straight line. Road distance is longer; transport options are not yet verified (see terminals and transport below).
Calculated from the airport coordinates (OurAirports) and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point.
Terminals, transport and parking at NKC
Terminal assignments, ground transport into Nouakchott, parking, lounges and accessibility services have not been verified against Nouakchott International Airport’s own pages yet, so none are listed here.
Check directly:aeroport-nouakchott.com/en/index_en.php (opens in a new tab)Map of the airport location (opens in a new tab)
Before you travel
- Confirm your terminal with the operating airline.
- Check the check-in and bag-drop cut-off times on your booking.
- Allow extra time if you need to change terminals or check bags in again.
- Check your flight status before you leave for the airport.
Airports near Nouakchott
Straight-line distances calculated from each airport’s coordinates in the Originfacts airport records. Road distances are longer.
- NouadhibouNouadhibou AirportNDB334 km
- DakarBlaise Diagne International AirportDSS400 km
- DakarLeopold Sedar Senghor International AirportDKR408 km
- BanjulYundum International AirportBJL535 km
- ZiguinchorZiguinchorZIG617 km
- DakhlaDakhla AirportVIL624 km
- Cap SkirringCap SkirringCSK640 km
- BissauOsvaldo Vieira AirportOXB691 km
- SalAmilcar Cabral International AirportSID757 km
Nouakchott International Airport: common questions
Where is Nouakchott International Airport?
Nouakchott International Airport serves Nouakchott, Mauritania. Its coordinates in OurAirports are 18.310°, -15.970°.
What are the airport codes for Nouakchott International Airport?
The IATA code is NKC and the ICAO code is GQNO.
What time zone is NKC in?
Nouakchott International Airport is in the Africa/Nouakchott time zone.
What is the official website of Nouakchott International Airport?
The airport’s official website is aeroport-nouakchott.com/en/index_en.php. For questions about a booking, contact the operating airline.
How many runways does Nouakchott International Airport have?
OurAirports lists 2 open runways at NKC: 16/34 (3,400 m (11,155 ft), concrete); 06/24 (2,400 m (7,875 ft), concrete).
When did Nouakchott International Airport open?
Wikidata gives 23 June 2016 as its official opening date.
How many passengers use Nouakchott International Airport?
Wikidata records 350,373 passengers for 2017, the latest year it holds.
Which airlines have a hub at NKC?
Wikidata lists NKC as a hub of Mauritania Airlines.
How far is NKC from Nouakchott city centre?
Nouakchott International Airport is about 25 km north of Nouakchott city centre in a straight line, calculated from coordinates. The distance by road is longer.
What is the elevation of Nouakchott International Airport?
OurAirports gives NKC’s elevation as 3 m (9 ft) above sea level.
Sources
Nothing on this page is verified by hand yet. Each section comes from the dataset below, with its date where the dataset has one. Terminal, transport and parking details are left out until they can be read from Nouakchott International Airport’s own pages.
- Codes, location, time zoneOriginfacts airport record10 Jul 2026
- Official websiteOurAirports (opens in a new tab)5 Oct 2026
- Coordinates, runways, type, elevationOurAirports (opens in a new tab) — public domain5 Oct 2026
- Opening, operator, passengers, hubsWikidata item Q25337089 (opens in a new tab) — CC05 Oct 2026
- Distance to city centreCalculated from airport coordinates and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point—
- Nearby airportsCalculated from airport coordinates—
- Terminals and transportNot yet verified—
Background reading:Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)