Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
IATA: NBO – ICAO: HKJK
Summary
Airport type		Joint (Civil and Military)
Operator		Kenya Airports Authority
Location		Nairobi, Kenya
Hub for		Fly540 Kenya Airways
Elevation AMSL		5,327 ft / 1,624 m
Coordinates		01°19′09″S 036°55′39″E / 1.31917°S 36.9275°E / -1.31917; 36.9275
Website		www.kenyaairports.co.ke
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
06/24	13,507	4,117	Asphalt
Statistics (2007)
Passengers			4,922,542 (2008)

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, (IATA: NBO, ICAO: HKJK) formerly called Embakasi Airport and Nairobi International Airport, is Kenya's largest aviation facility, and the busiest airport in Eastern Africa. It is the 6th busiest airport in Africa. The airport is named after the first Kenyan prime minister and president Jomo Kenyatta.

Kenyatta airport is located in Embakasi, a suburb to the south-east of Nairobi. The airport is situated 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Nairobi's Central Business District, and at the edge of the city's built up area. The Mombasa Highway runs adjacent to the airport, and is the main route of access between Nairobi and the airport.

The airport is the main hub of Kenya Airways and Fly540. Jomo Kenyatta airport is served by Runway 06/24. Runway 06 is ILS-equipped, and is used for take-offs and landings. The airport is served by one terminal building constructed in the 1970s. The former "Embakasi" terminal, now used for cargo and for a Kenya Air Force training facility, was constructed before the 1960s.

The airport served 4,922,542 passengers in 2008.

History

Nairobi Embakasi Airport was opened in May 1958, by the last Governor of Kenya, Evelyn Baring. The airport was due to be opened by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, however, she was delayed in Australia and could not make the ceremony.

Later the current terminal was built on the other side of the runway and the airport was renamed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The old terminal is now sometimes referred as Old Embakasi Airport and is used by the Kenya Air Force .

Terminal

A frontal view of the airport, 2010.

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

The cargo terminal

International Arrivals

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s terminal has three units that cater for both arrivals and departures. Units 1 and 2 are mainly used for international flights whereas unit 3 is mainly used for domestic flights.

Departing passengers check-in through units 1 and 2 depending on their destinations. Both units have airline check-in counters that operate on a Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) system, and immigration desks at the ground floor where passengers are cleared before they proceed to the departure lounge in the first floor via escalators or lifts. There are eight departure gates used to board aircraft via boarding bridges. Arriving international passengers enter via the same gates into a concourse which leads to immigration counters at the first floor before coming to the baggage hall situated in the ground floor. The baggage hall is well served with baggage conveyor belts.

Banking facilities, taxis, car hire, tour operators and hotel booking offices are conveniently situated at the arrival areas. A scheduled bus service to and from the town center is available at unit 1 and 2 bus stops.

Simba restaurant is situated in the 5th floor of the main central building. There is a cafeteria operated by Home Park in unit 1, a restaurant and pub in unit 2, a cafeteria and snack bar in unit 3 and an international arrival hall – all operated by NAS. Beverage and soft drink vending machines are strategically placed in each unit.

Information desks manned by customer care officers, are strategically placed in all the units and at the arrival hall. Flight information display systems (FIDS) and signage helps the passenger find his/her way around the airport.

Future expansion

On the 14th October 2005, the Kenya Airports Authority announced their plans to expand Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Over the next two years, the authority announced that it would improve airport facilities across Kenya, especially at Nairobi.

The expansion project was prompted as Jomo Kenyatta airport's annual passenger flow topped 4 million, while the airport was only constructed to handle 2.5 million passengers.

The expansion of the airport will more than double its size, from 25,662 to 55,222 square metres (276,220 to 594,400 sq ft). Aircraft parking, which is currently constrained, will be increased from 200,000 to 300,000 square metres (2,200,000 to 3,200,000 sq ft), and additional taxiways will be built. The arrivals and departures section will be fully separated, and the waiting area will be revamped.

The expansion will increase the airport's capacity to 9 million passengers a year. The project will cost the Kenya Airports Authority $100 million. The World Bank will provide $10 million. The first phase of upgrading commenced on September 29, 2006.

The government is currently debating if Jomo Kenyatta International Airport should build a second runway. This debate was caused by an incident which closed the only operational runway for 1 day.

Airlines and destinations

Charter airlines

Cargo airlines

• Air France Cargo
• Cargolux
• EgyptAir Cargo
• Emirates SkyCargo
• Etihad Crystal Cargo
• Evergreen International Airlines
• Kenya Airways Cargo
• Lufthansa Cargo
• Martinair Cargo
• Simba Air Cargo
• Singapore Airlines Cargo

Accidents and incidents

• On November 20, 1974, Lufthansa Flight 540, a Lufthansa Boeing 747-130, D-ABYB, LH 540, "Hessen" (German state), delivered 1970, crashed on take off from runway 24 in Nairobi killing 59 of the 157 on board. The aircraft was on a flight from Frankfurt to Nairobi and onwards to Johannesburg.
• In May 1989 a Boeing 707-330B plane operated by Somali Airlines overran the runway and crashed into a field near the Airport. The plane had 70 on board, but no fatalities resulted.
• On December 4 1990, a Boeing 707-321C operated by Sudania Air Cargo crashed near the airport while landing. All 10 persons on board died.
• On January 30, 2000, Kenya Airways Flight 431 was originally intended to fly from Nairobi to Lagos to Abidjan, but the flight diverted to Abidjan. The aircraft hit the water after takeoff to Lagos.
• On May 5, 2007, Kenya Airways Flight KQ 507, en route from Douala, Cameroon was reported to be missing with 115 passengers and crew on board. There were no survivors when the plane was found near Douala, Cameroon.

The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2020.
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