Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Kenya Airports Authority logo
IATA: NBO – ICAO: HKJK
Summary
Airport type	Joint (Civil and Military)
Operator	Kenya Airports Authority
Serves	Nairobi
Location	Nairobi, Kenya
Hub for	Fly540 Kenya Airways
Elevation AMSL	5,327 ft / 1,624 m
Coordinates	01°19′07″S 36°55′33″E / 1.31861°S 36.92583°E / -1.31861; 36.92583Coordinates: 01°19′07″S 36°55′33″E / 1.31861°S 36.92583°E / -1.31861; 36.92583
Website	www.kaa.go.ke
Map
NBO Location within Kenya
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 06/24 13,507 4,117 Asphalt
Statistics (2011)
Passengers 5,803,635[1]
Latitude and longitude provided by Kenya Airports Authority

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (IATA: NBO, ICAO: HKJK) is an international airport in Nairobi, the capital of and largest city in Kenya. Located in the Embakasi suburb 15 kilometres (9 mi) southeast of Nairobi's central business district, the airport has scheduled flights to destinations in over 50 countries.^[2] The airport is named after Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first president and prime minister.

The airport served 5,803,635 passengers in 2011,^[1] making it the ninth-busiest airport in Africa by total passengers. It is the hub for flag carrier Kenya Airways, as well as Fly540 and African Express Airways.

History

On 9 March 1958, Embakasi Airport was opened by the last colonial governor of Kenya, Sir Evelyn Baring.^[3] 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.^[4]

After Kenya's independence in 1964, the airport was renamed Nairobi International Airport to more accurately reflect the city it served. In 1972, the World Bank approved funds for further expansion of the airport, including a new terminal building, the airport's first dedicated cargo terminal, new taxiways, police and fire stations, and the building of the main access road to the airport (Airport South Road). The total cost of the project was over US$29 million (US$111.8 million in 2013 dollars).^[5] On 14 March 1978, construction of the current terminal building was completed on the other side of the airport's single runway and opened by President Kenyatta.^[6] The airport was again renamed, this time in honour of President Kenyatta after his death on 22 August 1978.

On 5 August 2013, an airlock in the main pipeline that delivers jet fuel to the airport caused all inbound flights to the airport to be diverted to other airfields. Approximately 1,000 passengers were placed in overnight accommodations, and the fault was fixed the next morning.^[7]

2013 fire

On 7 August 2013, a fire originating in the immigration area caused massive damage to the airport and forced it to suspend operations temporarily. Unit 3, usually dedicated to domestic operations, was used temporarily for international traffic.^[8] The worst fire in the airport's history occurred on the fifteenth anniversary of the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, but no connection was immediately obvious and no terrorist group has claimed responsibility. The cause is not believed to be intentional, as no explosive devices were discovered during the initial investigation.^[9][10] According to Kenyan officials, firefighting efforts were hampered by some of the first responders choosing to loot the airport instead of fighting the blaze.^[11]

International arrivals are bused to a temporary facility set up in the ground floor of the new parkade.

Terminal

A Section of Terminal 1A

The main entrance to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is on Airport South Road, which can be accessed by an exit from the A109 expressway (Mombasa Road).

The original terminal, located on the north side of the runway, is used by the Kenya Air Force and is sometimes referred as Old Embakasi Airport.^[12]

The current terminal building is arranged in a semi-circular orientation and is divided into three parts: 1A, 1B, 1C,1D and 1E used for international arrivals and departures.^[13]

Greenfield Terminal

The groundbreaking of a new passenger terminal dubbed the "Greenfield Terminal" with a capacity of 20 million passengers was held on 3 December 2013. It is set to be the single largest terminal in Africa and is to be completed in 2016.^[14] The estimated cost is 55 billion Kenyan shillings (US$654 million).^[15]

The architects for the terminal were Pascall+Watson, a London-based firm that also designed Heathrow Terminal 5 and Dublin Airport Terminal 2. Construction of the new terminal will be done by Anhui Civil Engineering Group and China Aero Technology Engineering International Engineering Corporation (CATIC). The project supervisor is the Louis Berger Group.

Once complete, the terminal will have 60 check-in positions, 32 air bridges and eight remote gates. The terminal is also expected to have an automated baggage handling commercial retail centre. It will also have a commuter railway station and enable alliances i.e. SkyTeam to use a single terminal. It will also have a capacity to handle traffic of 3,133 international passengers in a typical peak hour; 2,403 transiting passengers in a typical peak hour and 845 domestic passengers in a typical peak hour. Figures from KAA indicate that the airport, which has a capacity of 2.5 million passengers but handles an average of 6.5 million passengers every year.

Traffic at the airport grows at a rate of 12 percent per annum and is expected to hit the 25 million mark by 2025.

Second Runway

A new instrument landing system-equipped runway 5,500 metres (18,000 ft) in length has been approved for construction at a cost of 12.8 billion Kenyan shillings (US$146.5 million).^[16] An airport official has stated that the second runway will allow for continuous airport operations should an aircraft incident render the existing runway unusable.^[17] The runway also will enable direct long haul flights to destinations such as New York City, carrying up to 32 tonnes.^[16] Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2016 and be completed in December 2017.^[18]

Airlines and destinations

Emirates Airbus A340-500 taxiing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

RwandAir Boeing 737-500 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Kenya Airways Boeing 737-300 taxiing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Fly540 Bombardier CRJ-100 taxiing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

East African Safari Air McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Kenya Airways Boeing 777-200ER at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Kenya Airways' Planes at JKIA

Passenger

Countries served by flights from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (includes seasonal and future destinations).

Sky Aero launched flights to Kisumu and Mombasa in May, 2014^[50] but ceased operations a few months later.^[51]

Cargo

Other facilities

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has its head office in the KAA Complex on the airport property. African Express Airways has its head office on the airport property.^[64] The Kenya Airports Authority also has its head office at the airport.^[65]

Aircraft accidents and incidents

• On 20 November 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. This was the first fatal accident and third hull loss of a Boeing 747.

• On 17 May 1989, a Boeing 707-330B operated by Somali Airlines aborted takeoff and then overran the wet runway and crashed into a rice field. The plane had 70 passengers and crew on board, but no fatalities resulted. The aeroplane was damaged beyond repair.^[66]

• On 4 December 1990, a Boeing 707-321C freighter operated by Sudania Air Cargo struck an electricity pole 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) short of runway 06 and crashed in flames. Visibility was 500 metres (1,600 ft) in fog with a 30 metres (98 ft) cloud base. All 10 persons on board died. The aeroplane was damaged beyond repair.^[67]

• On 6 June 2012, EgyptAir Flight 849, an Airbus A320, blew a tire while landing and veered off runway 06. Portions of the aircraft obstructed the runway, necessitating closure of the airport. Inbound flights were diverted to other airports in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. None of the 123 passengers and crew was injured.^[68]

• On 4 January 2015 a Fokker 50 carrying 6 people crashed landed after a landing gear failure. Of the 6 on board, no injuries are reported. Jomo Kenyatta Airport is temporarily shut and all flights were diverted to Moi International Airport, Mombasa.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

• Kenya Airports Authority – Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
• Airport information for HKJK at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
• Current weather for HKJK at NOAA/NWS
• Accident history for NBO at Aviation Safety Network

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