MOMBASA COUNTY: Kenya’s second largest international airport and the hub for charter flights, Moi International Airport (MIA), Mombasa is set to undergo a major facelift that will see it have a new runway, expanded apron, power supply boost and terminal buildings.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the facility, Cabinet Secretary incharge of Transport and Infrastructure, Eng Michael Kamau said the entire upgrade work co-financed by French bilateral donor agency Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) and the World Bank (WB) will cost Sh7.5 billion with tendering works due for next week.
Eng Kamau who was flanked by Principal Secretaries Nduva Muli (Transport) and John Musonik (Infrastructure) said the French firm will provide 85 per cent of the funding with the remaining coming from the WB.
“These projects form part of the airport improvement works and will be complete by early 2016,’’ Kamau said.
MIA manager, Mr Yatich Kagungo explained that since the airport is close to sea level, it is important that such an upgrade on the runway is done. “The runways will be ripped off and then its floor strengthened before fresh layer is put. Work will also include the aprons- parking lot,’’ he said.
Yatich said that work on the runway will be done in phases so as not to interfere with flight operations. He said that in the power boost project, they aim to have the facility get two enhanced electric feeder boosts that will see power increase from 11 kva to 33 kva with power coming to the airport directly from the Kipevu Power Station.
“Mombasa has been prone to power outages and this has from time to time affected key operations in and around the airport. With the additional boost, we hope this will be a thing of the past,’’ he said.
Passenger terminal building upgrades will enable airport to handle 2.4 million passengers from the current two million passengers per annum.
“The upgrades will also factor in among others security enhancement alongside capacity,’’ Kagungo added.
At the same time, following President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive to lower landing rights at the airport by 40 per cent for any type of aircraft using the facility, a number of international airlines have lodged inquiries keen on starting operations into Mombasa. “There are close to 10 airlines including charter flights from the United Kingdom (UK) which have shown willingness to use Mombasa airport. Some of them are regulars while others are new ones which have not been using MIA before,’’ he said.
