The Kenya Airports Authority(KAA) on Tuesday announced that it will close Jomo Kenyatta International Airport(JKIA) Terminal 1E beginning Thursday, October 10,
In a notice on Tuesday, KAA explained that the closure of the terminal will allow for rehabilitation works that are scheduled to be undertaken at the JKIA on the day.
As a result, all airlines using Terminal 1E were redirected to the main Terminal 1A in a move that the authority noted was to allow for the safety of their passengers and staff.
''Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) would like to inform you that Terminal 1E at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) will be temporarily closed starting Thursday, October 10, 2024, at 0700hrs to facilitate essential rehabilitation works,’’ KAA shared in a statement.
‘’During this period, all affected airlines will be processed through Terminal 1A. This decision has been made in order to ensure the safety of our staff and passengers during the renovation process,’’ the authority added.
The intended closure of the terminal will likely have an impact on the international arrivals of passengers because it is the main terminal used for international flight arrivals.
JKIA has six terminals assigned to handle international passenger arrivals and departures. Each terminal has dedicated airlines that land and take off from them.
Terminal 1E handles at least 10 international major airlines and also houses the immigration and customs checkpoints at the busy airport.
Terminal 1A, where the flights have been redirected to, is the largest and newest terminal at the airport having been opened in August last year with an ability to accommodate 2.5 million passengers.
As the management of KAA intends to undertake the repair works on the terminal, the airport has been the subject of recent debates following the proposed Public Private Partnership Investment Proposal where the government had expressed the need for an expansion.
However, controversy arose over the decision to invite Adani Holdings Group to take the proposed management of the airport for a concessional period of 30 years.
The move has, however, been stopped by the Parliament after Transport Committee Chair David Pkosing directed KAA management to stop any further engagement with Adani until the issues surrounding the deal are scrutinised.
