With the Adani proposal to expand and develop Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) off the table, Kenya Airports Authority is back to the drawing board. A new development partner must be sought with some measure of urgency if Kenya hopes to continue with its regional air-travel ascendancy. But rather than focus on the development of Kenya's premier airport per se, the entire aviation ecosystem around it should be overhauled to enable seamless operations.
Aviation in Kenya should be considered holistically. Players, conductors and assets must be seen as an ensemble that performs below par if any of them is off kilter. Investment in the entire ecosystem then becomes a prerequisite for great performance. Key stakeholders include the airport itself, the regulator Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and the national carrier Kenya Airways. There is also an interplay of policy that connects these stakeholders. Here are some considerations.