President Kenyatta Launches construction of new JKIA Terminal
03-Dec-2013 President Uhuru Kenyatta has today commissioned the construction of a new Ksh55.5 billion (US$654 million) terminal at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which is expected to upgrade it to world-class status.
Construction of the new state-of-the-art facility begins immediately. The two-phased construction work is expected to be complete by 2017. Upon completion, it will have capacity to handle 20 million passengers every year. This will ease congestion at the JKIA, by meeting its current and future demand.
At the moment, figures from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) indicate that JKIA, which has an installed capacity of 2.5 million passengers, handles an average of 6.5 million passengers every year. Traffic at the airport grows at a rate of 12 per cent per annum, and is expected to hit the 25 million mark by 2025.
Speaking after presiding over the groundbreaking ceremony, President Kenyatta noted that the new passenger terminal is among developments that will usher in a new era in African Aviation.
Construction of the new terminal will be done by Anhui Civil Engineering Group (ACEG)/ China Aero- Technology Engineering International Engineering Corporation (CATIC) JV. Spanning 178,000 square meters, the terminal will have facilities such as: 50 international and 10 domestic check-in points; 32 contact and 8 remote gates; an associated apron with 45 stands and linking taxiways; a railway terminal; a bus park, street lighting, among others.
The 20 million passengers' terminal is part of the medium to long-term plans to address this shortfall by expanding and modernizing JKIA. Other projects lined up are: Construction of Terminal Four; Interim Terminal; Redesign of Terminals 1, 2 and 3; Second Runway; and Remote Stands/ Bussing Gates.
It will 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.
The terminal is conceived as a hub terminal for efficient connectivity for transiting passengers, and is designed as an environmentally sustainable building. It will be certified by the World Green Building Council using either the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or Green Star certification processes.
The President was accompanied by Deputy President William Ruto, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure Eng. Michael Kamau, among other senior government officials.