By Baraka Karama

The new Kisumu International Airport has officially began its operations after the completion of an expansion project which began three years ago.

All airline operators using the airport have shifted their operations to the new facility.

The new terminal building has been completed and all the markings done.

Passengers board a Kenya Airways plane that landed at Kisumu International Airport that started its operations on Thursday. The airport was expanded at a cost of sh 3 billion. [PHOTO: JAMES KEYI/STANDARD]

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The building will handle 600 to 700 persons per hour, translating to two million traffic per year.

The length of the runway was also extended from the previous 2 kilometres to 3.3 kilometres.

Kisumu Airport manager Joseph Okumu told the standard that they were running series of test to ensure that systems and procedures were running efficiently.

He appealed to the airline operators to increase their flights to accommodate the increasing number of passengers.

He said, " we have no restrictions on which kind of plane we can accommodate as the facility is extremely spacious".

Kenya Airways plane touched down at newly completed airport grounds amid jubilation amongst the passengers.

National Assembly speaker Kenneth Marende , Nyanza provincial commissioner Francis Mutie , and Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa were amongst the first dignitaries to have a glimpse of the new facility.

While on a brief tour of the facility, Marende expressed his joy over the new facility and called upon the residents of region to utilize it.

Mutie said the Government would ensure security around the area is tightened as they expect an influx of tourists visiting the region.

Mutie said security will be beefed at the airport due to the high number of passengers expected.

Kenya Airways station manager Sammy Ndirangu said they were working on plans to increase more flights in the area.

The sh 3 billion expansion of the new aiport began three years ago and is expected to create new business opportunities in the region.

More tourists are also expected to flock the region after the ministry of tourism launched the western tourism circuit.

Tourism minister Najib Balala last month announced that his ministry would build an international conference centre alongside a new utalii college to cater for the expected tourists in the region.