The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $160m loan to carry out the expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya.
The fund is expected to help towards the Government of Kenya’s plans to make Nairobi an aviation hub.
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As part of the expansion, a 4.9km runway will be built in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Category II standards.
The existing runway at JKIA is currently operating at Category Flights Conditions level one (CAT-I) with a width of 45m and a length of 4.1km.
Connecting taxiways, additional parking stands for aircraft, and an air rescue firefighting unit will also be constructed.
AfDB Infrastructure cities and urban development director Amadou Oumarou said: “The second runway will support more air traffic and facilitate increased tourism and business travel and expedite a two-way cargo traffic.”
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By GlobalDataThe expansion project is a part of the JKIA 2010 Master Plan. Following its completion, the movement of air transport to and from JKIA is expected to be eased at peak hours.
Expensive flight diversions arising from incidences on the existing runway are also anticipated to be eliminated.
In addition, the expansion will help improve regional integration and expand international trade through improved regional and international air connectivity, as well as facilitate exports and imports.
It is also expected to enable direct intercontinental flights to North America and Australia.
The expansion is estimated to increase tourism and business travel annually by 4.2% and annual two-way cargo traffic by 5.1% between 2026 and 2052.
