Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Embakasi
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is Kenya’s largest flight service. It Hosts 49 scheduled airlines. JKIA services direct flight connections to Europe, the Middle East, Far East and Africa. It forms the main hub for Kenya Airways, JetLink Express and Fly540. Formerly known as Embakasi Airport and Nairobi International Airport, JKIA is situated 18 km from Nairobi’s CBD in Embakasi, an outlying southeastern suburb of Nairobi. The Mombasa Highway is the main access route between the city and the airport. Facilities include foreign exchange and banking services, duty free shops, bars and restaurants, Wireless Internet access, post office, exporters, taxi, car rentals, tour agencies, hotel booking booths, VIP lounges, salons, prayer rooms and a children’s play area.
History
On 9 March 1958, Embakasi Airport was opened by the last colonial governor of Kenya, Sir 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.
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 . 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.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.
Jomo Kenyatta Airport Photo
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. 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. According to Kenyan officials, firefighting efforts were hampered by some of the first responders choosing to loot the airport instead of fighting the blaze.
International arrivals are bused to a temporary facility set up in the ground floor of the new parkade.