Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

1950s and 1960s

Discussions about building the airport date back to 1945. At that time, the colonial power—Britain—and its national airline, BOAC, were worried that the existing airport at Eastleigh was inadequate for post-War civilian airliners. The costs of improving Eastleigh versus developing a new airport occupied planners for eight years. Who would pay was a major issue.^[8]

The task was by no means straightforward, and many problems, largely of a civil engineering nature, had to be overcome before the runway could be built. An extensive amount of the airport's construction was done utilizing forced labourers, many of whom were suspected Kenya Land and Freedom Army members.^{[citation needed]} Due to the enormous pressure to finish the airport and the high amount of labour necessary, the labourers were worked to the point where some of them died of exhaustion. The working conditions were so poor that there were reports of suicides and self-mutilation among the labourers.^[9]

On Sunday 9 March 1958, Embakasi Airport (now JKIA) was opened by the last colonial governor of Kenya, Sir Evelyn Baring.^[10]

At the time in 1958, Nairobi was one of the few towns in the world that could boast of a 1965 airport with an expansion option at hand. The number of aircraft movements then was less than 600 per month. The airport architect was strongly influenced by the design of Kloten, Zurich, in the planning and design of Embakasi, although similarities were by no means obvious. Both airports are arranged so that arrival passengers can see completely through the building; the minimum of signs is required. And although Embakasi was designed to meet Nairobi's particular needs, both airports shared a lightness and spaciousness that was at the time extraordinarily refreshing. The fitting and colour schemes employed at the then Embakasi Airport were first-class.^[11]

1970s, 1980s and 1990s

In 1972, the World Bank approved funds for further expansion of the airport, including a new international and domestic passenger terminal building, the airport's first dedicated cargo and freight terminal, new taxiways, associated aprons, internal roads, car parks, police and fire stations, a State Pavilion, airfield and roadway lighting, fire hydrant system, water, electrical, telecommunications and sewage systems, a dual carriageway passenger access road, security, drainage 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).^[12] 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.^[13]

In October 1994, a British Airways Concorde landed at the airport for purposes of testing the aircraft's performance at high altitude.^{[citation needed]}

2000–present

On 10 June 2008, Kenya Vision 2030 was launched by President Mwai Kibaki.^[14] Under the vision, JKIA's aging infrastructure was to be upgraded to World Class standards. New terminals and runway upgrades were to be added in phases. The African Development Bank carried out an Environmental Impact Assessment on the development of Phase 1 of the proposed Green Field Terminal (GFT) which was expected to increase the capacity of JKIA to about 18.5 million passengers annually by the year 2030. The Greenfield Terminal project was to encompass the construction of a four level terminal building comprising a central processing area, a transit hotel, landside retail centres, arrivals and departures plaza. Ancillary facilities which would have included an access road, car parking, access taxiways, Ground Service Equipment (GSE) and bus parking areas.^[15]

On 29 March 2016, the KES 56 billion (US$560 million) Greenfield Terminal Project was terminated by Kenya Airports Authority because the contractor failed to secure funds, thus ending Kenya's vision of having the largest terminal in Africa.^[16]

In February 2017, the airport was awarded a Category One Status by the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States, thus allowing possible direct flights between the US and Nairobi. Five other African countries have direct flights to the US (South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, and Cabo Verde).^[17][18]

Aftermath

After the fire was extinguished, a preliminary investigation was started. Possible terrorism was an initial concern because the fire occurred on the fifteenth anniversary of the terrorist bombings of United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania plus the fact that Kenya has been involved in an armed conflict with Al-Shabaab in neighbouring Somalia. Investigators, however, soon ruled out terrorism as the cause of the fire, as no explosive devices were discovered during the initial investigation.^[27][28] The cause was later confirmed to be an electrical fault in a distribution board.^[29]

The international arrival and departure units were completely destroyed in the fire. Airport officials have elected to use Unit III (used for domestic arrivals and departures) to handle some international traffic. Operations were partly re-established on 8 August.^[30]

In June 2015, a new, fully functional temporary terminal building became operational. This terminal building was planned for a design life of 10 years, until completion of the planned new permanent facility.^[31]

2024 strike

On 11 September 2024, airport workers held a strike against proposals to lease the facility to the Adani Group of India for 30 years. The Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights also criticised the proposal, citing the airport being a "strategic national asset". The two groups also filed petitions in the High Court against the proposal, which led to it being suspended pending a final decision.^[32]

2026 strikes

On 9 February 2026, airport workers' organisations across the country issued a notice for a planned strike. It was triggered by unfair staff hiring practices, poor compensation and proposed changes to the management of JKIA which were opposed by workers unions.^[33]. It started on 17 February and ended the next day when the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) signed a return to work formula after successful talks with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and other stakeholders.^[34]

According to KAWU, government did not implement the return to work formula forcing it to resume the previously suspended strike for two days; 30 and 31 August.^[35] It resulted in thousands of passengers getting stranded, flight delays at times exceeding 6 hours, flight disruptions including at JKIA.^[36] The end of the strike was announced on 1 September after negotiations with various aviation stakeholders.^[33][37] KAWU, the airport and civil aviation authorities, and Jambojet signed another return to work agreement to end the strike while negotiations on outstanding issues continued.^[37]

Terminal 1

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 opened in April 2015. It is a prefabricated building rated at 2.5 million passengers a year and was added to take pressure off Terminal 1. Low-cost and some regional carriers use it. Check-in and gates cover both domestic and international flights.

Airfield

The airport has one operational runway, 06/24, 4,117 m (13,507 ft) of asphalt and 60 m (200 ft) wide. It is an ICAO code F pavement and can take aircraft in the class of the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8. Edge lighting is installed; there is no full centre-line approach lighting of the sort planned for a second strip. Plans for that second runway are treated under Expansion.

Lounges

Kenya Airways unveiled the Simba Lounge and Pride Lounge in Terminal 1A in November 2014 and opened them the following year. The two rooms were built at a reported cost of about KES 130–135 million and seat a few hundred people between them. They serve Kenya Airways Premier World and SkyTeam Sky Priority passengers.^[39][40] A further Kenya Airways room, the Msafiri Lounge, is in Terminal 1D for domestic departures.

Paid and alliance lounges in the same complex have included the Swissport Aspire Lounge in Terminal 1B, a Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal 1D, and a Turkish Airlines lounge used by Star Alliance passengers, most recently described in Terminal 1E. Locations have changed as units have been reassigned, so notices at the airport are the reliable guide.

Terminal 2 has two airside rooms on level 1, the Mara Lounge and the Mount Kenya Lounge. Both are run as 24-hour contract lounges.

Other facilities

African Express Airways has its head office on the airport grounds. The head office of the Kenya Airports Authority is also at the airport.^[41]

Greenfield Terminal

The principal attempt to raise capacity was the Greenfield Terminal, a Vision 2030 project. President Uhuru Kenyatta launched it in late 2013 and officiated at a groundbreaking ceremony on 23 May 2014.^[42][46] The design-and-build contract was awarded to a joint venture of Anhui Construction Engineering Group (ACEG) and China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Corporation (CATIC).^[42][47]

The scheme called for a four-level building of about 178,000 m² (1,920,000 sq ft), rated at 20 million passengers a year, with 50 international and 10 domestic check-in positions, 32 contact gates and eight remote gates, an apron of 45 stands, a transit hotel, retail space and taxiways that could later serve a second runway.^[47][48] Published contract values were in the range of KES 56–65 billion (about US$560–650 million); some later accounts said the cost had risen toward US$1 billion.^[42][49] Kenya was to fund a minority share, with the balance expected from the African Development Bank and commercial lenders.^[49]

KAA terminated the project on 29 March 2016. It said the contractor had not secured finance and cited “operational, economic and financial dynamics”.^[42][47] Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said the terminal offered poor value for money and that a second runway would add more capacity.^[48][49] Little of the building had been erected.

The cancellation left a long financial tail. Audits and later parliamentary hearings recorded an advance of about KES 4.31 billion to ACEG–CATIC, KES 75 million for the groundbreaking ceremony, and payments to consultants including Louis Berger working with Runji and Partners (later figures ranged from about KES 130 million to more than KES 216 million), plus smaller fees to PricewaterhouseCoopers after a financing-advisory contract was ended.^[46][50][51] The contractor lodged further claims. A later mediation produced an additional settlement and a large write-off; by 2024 some accounts put cumulative payments to the contractor near KES 9.6 billion.^[52] The Auditor-General and the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee continued to query the records years after work stopped.^[46][51]

Second runway

After the Greenfield cancellation the government named a second runway as the priority. In January 2017 it approved a 4,800 m × 60 m (15,750 ft × 200 ft) Category II runway, quoted at KES 37 billion. The existing 06/24 runway is 4,117 m (13,507 ft). Planners said a parallel strip would raise hourly aircraft movements and provide a reserve during maintenance.^[53][54] The quoted cost was later revised to about KES 22 billion and tenders were invited.^[55]

In 2018–19 the ministry paused the scheme pending a review of its economic value. In April 2019 Macharia said better use of the existing terminals came first and that the runway was no longer the immediate priority.^[53] Construction did not start.

Adani proposal

In March 2024 Adani Airport Holdings submitted a privately initiated proposal to expand and operate the airport under a 30-year build–operate–transfer concession. Published investment figures ranged from about US$1.85 billion to just over US$2 billion and included a new terminal, airside works and, in some descriptions, a second runway.^[56][57] Critics objected to the absence of an open tender, to a stated equity return of around 18 percent, and to terms that would have left Adani with a residual stake after the concession.^[56][57] Reporting later showed the proposal moving from receipt to clearance for a feasibility stage within weeks.^[58]

Details became public in July 2024 after Nelson Amenya posted documents online.^[59] Protests followed under the banner OccupyJKIA. The Law Society of Kenya and other groups sued. Airport workers struck on 10–11 September 2024, disrupting flights.^[60] The High Court issued conservatory orders.

On 21 November 2024 President William Ruto cancelled the airport plan, and a related energy contract with the same group, after United States prosecutors charged Gautam Adani with bribery and fraud in an unrelated Indian solar case. Ruto said Kenyan investigators and partner governments had supplied new information.^[61][62] Adani denied the American charges and said no binding concession had been signed. KAA later confirmed a formal termination.^[63]

Current programme

After the Adani collapse the state returned to a government-led programme. An Integrated Master Plan for 2025–2045, prepared for KAA by the consultancy Sidara and presented in early 2026, set a sequence: first raise throughput on the existing airfield with rapid-exit taxiways and other works, and lift the present terminals from about 7.5 million to about 12 million passengers a year; later add a new terminal and a parallel runway of about 4,500 m (14,800 ft). The plan forecast traffic approaching 22 million passengers by the mid-2040s.^[64][65][66]

On 23 June 2026 the government signed a KES 154.2 billion design-and-build contract with China Road and Bridge Corporation covering rehabilitation of the existing airfield, renovation of the present terminals and a new terminal rated at about 10 million passengers a year. Combined, those works are intended to take overall capacity to about 22 million.^[67][68] Officials said construction would begin in July 2026, with the airfield and terminal upgrades on shorter timetables and the new terminal taking about three years.^[67] The second runway and a further terminal increment remain in later phases of the master plan. Financing has been described as airport passenger-charge revenue, syndicated loans and other public funds, rather than a long concession of the 2024 type.^[44]

Passenger

Cargo