On Tuesday, November 20, 2018, the Kenya Airports Authority said it was moving ahead with upgrades at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Moi International Airport and Kisumu International Airport as the government prepared for heavier travel demand.
The plan, backed by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Tourism, targets service and facility improvements at the three airports. At JKIA, the main immediate focus is the rehabilitation and expansion of the domestic passenger area at Terminal 1D, which KAA says is being enlarged to handle the expected Christmas holiday rush.
KAA Managing Director Jonny Andersen said the expansion was meant to cope with the rise in domestic travelers during the festive period. He said, “We are currently expanding the passenger area at JKIA terminal 1D to cater for the increased number of domestic travelers during Christmas holidays.”
In Kisumu, the runway strengthening project is close to completion. According to Andersen, the work is intended to make it possible for larger aircraft to land at the lakeside airport.
Tourism CS Najib Balala welcomed the planned expansion at Moi International Airport in Mombasa, describing it as important to the Coast region’s economy. The airport remains a key transport point for tourism and business traffic along the coast.
The upgrades come under President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration, which has been pushing improvements across major airports as the December travel season approaches.
