By Johh Oyuke

Kenya Airports Authority has been gripped by a frenzy of activity as organisations purchased tenders for the $500 million (Sh46.5b) new terminal complex at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

The organisation said by Friday, slightly more than 100 local and multinational firms — mainly from North America, Europe, Asia and Africa — had bought tender documents for the new airport terminal project.

"We have also witnessed major multinational banks showing interest in the international tender with a view to financing the successful bidder," the authority’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Dominic Ngigi, disclosed.

This airport project, which is totally de-linked from the current JKIA upgrading programme, comes under the country’s Vision 2030 transport pillar, which covers construction of a $19 billion Lamu port and related facilities.

According to Ngigi, KAA plans to open the tenders next month while construction work is expected to start in January next year.

Virgin land

"Construction and ground breaking for the new terminal is expected to commence in January and run for two years. It should be operational in 2014," he said.

He pointed out that the new terminal complex and associated works would be done on virgin land, where there would be no need to remodel, or demolish, existing structures.

He said on completion, the new terminal — which will be called the Greenfield Terminal — would be able to handle 20 million passengers per annum, and is expected to create new jobs with the emergence of a range of new shops, restaurants, and bars within the facility.

The ‘stand alone’ new facility, which is expected to be connected to the existing terminal buildings by bus service, will also offer up to 50 check in counters, eight air bridges for aircraft to dock – including meeting the specifications to serve the world’s largest aeroplane, the Airbus A380.

It will have up to 45 aircraft parking stands on the linked apron space — also due to be constructed alongside the terminal — plus links to existing and new taxiways, and an additional runway.

Efficient connectivity

According to Ngigi, the terminal will also ensure efficient connectivity for transiting passengers with a railway terminal from Nairobi to JKIA to avoid traffic jams and ease check in.

The current airport terminal was opened in 1978 with capacity to process a maximum of 2.5 million passengers per annum.

It is currently constrained, as it handles six million passengers, which is double its design capacity.

KAA is currently rehabilitating JKIA to handle an estimated 9 million passengers, even as it embarks on the new and de-linked terminal capable of serving 20 million passengers per year.

Regional hub

The project is expected to further improve Kenya’s status as a regional air flight connection hub even as other countries in the region are also planning new terminals.