JKIA capacity to increase by 4m passengers

Passengers arriving at the new international arrival terminal at JKIA on September 14,2013 one month since fire gutted the main international terminal of the airport. Photo/ JEFF ANGOTE  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By WANGUI MAINA

In Summary

• Capacity at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is set to increase by over four million passengers in the next six months following the approval of a loan by the African Development Bank and fast-tracking of Unit 4.
• The 10,000 square metre temporary terminal, which is expected to be in place in four months, will cost Sh2.34 billion ($27.6 million). The AfDB last week approved a Sh2.3 billion ($27.1 million) loan for the construction of the terminal, with the Kenyan government meeting the difference of Sh42 million.

Capacity at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is set to increase by over four million passengers in the next six months following the approval of a loan by the African Development Bank and fast-tracking of Unit 4.

The 10,000 square metre temporary terminal, which is expected to be in place in four months, will cost Sh2.34 billion ($27.6 million). The AfDB last week approved a Sh2.3 billion ($27.1 million) loan for the construction of the terminal, with the Kenyan government meeting the difference of Sh42 million.

The interim terminal has a capacity of 2.5 million passengers, or 6,850 people per day.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) closed the tender process last Friday, having invited bids for the supply of design, and installation of the terminal in September, with each bidder putting a security of Sh42.4 million ($500,000).

“We tendered to buy the equipment. We want it in place in the next four months,” said KAA’s finance general manager, John Thumbi on Friday on the sideline of a Kenya Airways event at JKIA.

“This temporary airport is a measure as we wait for Greenfield to start and become operational,” he said. The Greenfield project caused uproar when it emerged that the tender for the construction of the terminal was given to two Chinese companies by the KAA management in December 2011 without the approval of the board.

Gabriel Negatu, AfDB’s regional director for eastern Africa, said the financing was not a new loan but part of savings made from recently completed bank-financed projects under the bank’s concessionary window – Africa Development Fund.

In addition the development bank approved a Sh84 million ($1 million) grant to enhance security at the airport. The equipment, including eight walk through metal detectors, eight check-in x-ray machines and nine cabin x-ray machines will replace some of the ageing equipment at the airport and those that were destroyed by the fire.

The grant was provided as an emergency assistance support under the Bank’s Special Relief Fund in one tranche and installation is expected to be done within the next six months.

Following the incident the government has set the completion of Unit 4, with a capacity of 2.5 million passengers for the end of the year as opposed to March 2014. JKIA handles up to six million passengers annually with a capacity of 1.5 million.

pmaina@ke.nationmedia.com