Travel guide: Yaounde Airport, Cameroon (YAO)
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- YAO airport guideTerminals, transport into town, tips
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At a glance
Local facts
Travel essentials for Yaounde Airport, Cameroon — what to expect on the ground. Yaounde Airport sits in Cameroon (Africa), in a tropical climate band — tropical northern-hemisphere zone with a wet season and a dry season. Airport IATA code YAO serves the area. Local timezone is Africa/Douala, which matters for arrivals and check-ins. It sits at 3.83°, 11.52° — useful for weather, daylight, and route planning. Use the live tools below to plan around these facts.
- RegionCameroon, Africa
- Climate bandtropical northern-hemisphere zone with a wet season and a dry season
- Airport IATA code YAO
- TimezoneAfrica/Douala
- Coordinates3.83, 11.52
- Located in the Northern Hemisphere
YAO is a code associated with Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, in the centre of the country. It refers to the older Yaounde Airport, close to the city, but most travellers today arrive at the larger Nsimalen International Airport, a little to the south, which is the main gateway for flights into the capital. Yaounde is the political and administrative capital of Cameroon, home to the government and to embassies, spread across a series of green hills that have earned it the name of the city of seven hills. Set on a forested plateau at around 750 metres between the Nyong and Sanaga rivers, it enjoys a milder climate than the hot coast around Douala. It is a lively, sprawling city of markets, universities and government. Yaounde is reached mainly through Nsimalen International Airport and by road and rail. The climate is warm and humid, tempered by the altitude, with wet and drier seasons.
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Frequently asked questions
What is YAO?
YAO is a code associated with Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. It refers to the older Yaounde Airport, near the city centre, which today is used mainly for military and other non-commercial flights. Most travellers to Yaounde now arrive at the larger Nsimalen International Airport, a little to the south of the city.
Where is Yaounde?
Yaounde is the capital of Cameroon, in Central Africa, set in the centre of the country on a forested plateau at around 750 metres above sea level. It is spread across a series of hills, between the Nyong and Sanaga rivers, and enjoys a milder climate than the hot, humid coast around Douala.
What is Yaounde known for?
Yaounde is known as the political capital of Cameroon, the seat of the government and of many embassies, and as the city of seven hills for its green, hilly setting. It is a large, lively city of markets, universities and administration, a good base for exploring the forests and highlands of central Cameroon.
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