Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya, is set to undergo a major expansion with the construction of a new KSh37 billion (€302m) runway.
The new 4.8km runway, which will be 75 metres wide, will have the capacity to handle larger aircraft.
The Kenyan government has revived the runway plans after several delays due to lack of funds.
Geoffrey Kilonzi, Reservations Agent at Silverstone Air told Tourism Update that he reconfirmed the construction of the runway with a colleague, stating: “There is an expansion of JKIA which is under way. So hopefully we get a new runway next year.”
Construction is scheduled to commence in June once the African Development Bank (AfDB) approves a loan of KSh19 billion (€155m) which will be used to fund the project.
Nairobi News reported that AfDB Director-General for East Africa, Gabriel Negatu, says the approval will be given towards the end of this year.
Kenya Airports Authority Chief Executive Officer, Jonny Andersen says: “The project will nearly double aircraft movements, from 25 to 45 aeroplanes per hour. Moreover, the technology will also enable operations in bad weather, thus avoiding diversion of aircraft,” reports the Daily Nation.
