KENYA: Kenya's main airport and national air carrier plan expansion to boost efficiency and trade.

Record ID: 362776

  • Title: KENYA: Kenya's main airport and national air carrier plan expansion to boost efficiency and trade.
  • Date: 5th November 2013
  • Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (RECENT) (REUTERS) NEW ARRIVALS TERMINAL UNDER CONSTRUCTION VARIOUS OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WORKING ON TERMINAL MORE OF TERMINAL/ CONSTRUCTION CRANE MORE OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS NAIROBI, KENYA (NOVEMBER 4, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF KENYA'S PRESIDENT UHURU KENYATTA AND DEPUTY PRESIDENT WILLIAM RUTO AT A CEREMONY TO TAKE DELIVERY OF A NEW AIRCRAFT RUTO LO
  • Embargoed: 20th November 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Industry
  • Reuters ID: LVA9YSFQLHP8KWFJ2318PJRY8SYF
  • Story Text: Kenya has embarked on an airplane fleet growth plan and airport expansion in a bid to boost efficiency and deepen trade connections. The country's main airport, Jomo Kenyatta, which handles more than 6 million passengers a year, is still trying to recover from a massive fire that destroyed the arrivals terminal in August.
    Construction of a new arrival terminal at Kenya's main airport, hit by a massive fire in August is feverishly underway - day and night. Construction workers hope to meet an end of November deadline set by the government to have the new terminal fully up and running.
    Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) which handles more than 6 million passengers a year, is still trying to recover from the fire that that left the arrivals terminal a smouldering, blackened shell.
    Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and the national carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ) have embarked on a growth plan that will see further expansion of the main airport, including a second runway at JKIA as well as growing the fleet of KQ aircrafts in a bid to boost efficiency and deepen trade connections.
    The plans to expand the aging airport, a regional gateway for passengers and cargo, are not new but the authorities have come under pressure to speed up the expansion after the August blaze.
    While taking delivery of the new KQ Boeing 777-300ER, Kenya's president Uhuru Kenyatta said he was enthusiastic about the new facilities.

    "Barely three months ago, I visited this airport - the home of Kenya Airways after a fire had gutted the arrivals lounge and it all looked like doom and gloom. But this ceremony takes place amidst great enthusiasm - not just because the airport is up and running more efficiently in fact than before the fire, but because out of the ashes of that fire a more efficient and vibrant facility is on the way," said Kenyatta.
    The airport authorities recently received 653 million USD from three lending institutions to build the new terminal and second runway.
    The new terminal and runway will provide a further capacity of 40 million passengers.

    "We are determined that this airport will fulfill its mandate as the air hub for East and Central Africa and we endeavour to use every opportunity to move the agenda of national transformation one more step ahead and we will embrace the opportunity to lift the quality and traveller experience at this airport," said Kenyatta.
    KQ which launched the biggest plane in its fleet yet, on Monday (November 04) has been blaming lack of capacity for delays to expand operations.
    The carrier, which is partly owned by AirFrance KLM, plans to more than double its fleet to at least 80 wide body aircrafts in five years.
    The newly acquired long-haul aircraft will fly the Nairobi - Guangzhou route, a move that Kenyatta said will boost trade and bilateral relations with its key trade partner China.

    "This acquisition is good news news for our country and indeed for our entire region. It paves the way for the airline to deepen our trade connections with the world through long haul flights. This will result in the growth of trade, tourism and other forms of interaction with other parts of the world," said Kenyatta.
    KQ Chief Executive Officer, Titus Naikuni said the regulatory process to include the 787 Dreamliner in their fleet has already began and that a number of aircrafts would be retired from the current fleet to pave way for new acquisitions.

    "We will have by the end of the year six 787s, brand new ones which will replace the existing ageing 767s and in addition to the 787s we also have the 777-300ER that are coming and the one that you are seeing here today is the first one of three aircrafts of that size," said Naikuni.
    Kenya Airways has nine orders for the Dreamliner which has been plagued by production challenges.
    Currently, Kenya Airways flies to 61 destinations but plans to service at least 117 at the completion of the planned expansion.
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