The new runway will be 4.8km long and 75m wide project, a significant improvement from the current runway that has a length of 4.2km and 60m wide.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is set to approve US $189.2m loan for the construction of a new US $358m runway at the JKIA in Nairobi.
Johny Andersen, of the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), says that once completed the runaway will reduce mishaps on the path as it will nearly double the aircraft movement from 25 to 45 aircrafts per hour.
“The runway will be an upgrade of the existing one (which was built in the 1970s). This will be a category two runway that conforms to international standards,” said Mr. Andersen.
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According to Gabriel Negatu, the AfDB Director General for the East Africa regional hub, the loan is to be approved towards the end of 2017 so that construction work can commence early June in 2018.
The current JKIA’s traffic capacity stands at 89%, thus it is necessary to expand its capacity as soon as possible.
Besides, providing funding the construction of the runway, AfDB is also responsible for the runway design.
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The technology of the proposed facility will also meet the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) category II specifications thus enabling operations even in bad weather and therefore avoiding diversion of aircraft.
In addition, the project is an ICAO code F runway which can handle the new generation extra wide-bodied aircrafts such as Airbus A380 and Boeing B747-800.
