Tana River plans commercial air service at Hola

Tana River County is set to have the first commercial flight touch down on its soil.

County Director of Communications Steve Juma said passenger flights were expected to start soon.

“We have embarked on discussions with key aviation operators and the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) with a view to having our airstrip fully inspected before airlines start flying into Tana River County,” he said.

Mr Juma said a delegation led by Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana has held successful meetings with KAA executives and the management of low-cost carrier Silverstone Air over the issue.

“Silverstone Air, a fast-growing airline, have given all indications that they are keen on flying from their Wilson Airport hub to Tana River once all approvals are met,” he said.

The county official said KAA Managing Director Johnny Andersen had confirmed that a team of engineers would be dispatched to Hola town to assess the state of the airstrip.

Major physical features in the county include an undulating plain that is interrupted in a few places by low hills.

River Tana traverses the county from Tharaka Nithi County in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south, passing through Tana Delta and covering a stretch of approximately 500km.

Juma said Tana River residents have had to endure long road trips on bumpy roads to Malindi to catch a flight to other parts of the country.

“When commercial flights start using the Hola airstrip, we expect that business people will benefit, as they, too, shall be able to transport commodities like mangoes and fish to markets outside the county,” he said.