Kisumu International Airport underutilised, says official

By WINSLEY MASESE

Kisumu International Airport risks turning into a white elephant project if it remains underutilised, a senior manager at the facility has warned.

Airport Manager Joseph Okumu said though upgraded to the international status, a few years ago cargo handled by facility is below capacity.

“It Is worrying that the facility is underutilised especially in handling cargo and there is need to create awareness in the region on the advantages of using it,” he said.

Currently, fish and cut flowers for export from the region are transported to Nairobi by road. This result in heavy losses in terms of the lost, wastage and added transportation costs.

“We want to enhance business in the region by ensuring fresh vegetables, cut flowers and meat products are exported to neighbouring economies within the right time,” he said. Okumu said that they have tendered for cold storage facilities, a development which seeks to encourage business people transport cargo through the port.

Low-cost airliner Jambojet and Fly540 currently serve the region from Kisumu Airport. The Government is, for example, redesigning its foreign policy in the region to  focus on econmic ties.

One of the other key challenges currently facing the airport is lack of jetplane fuel, making it impossible for passengers and cargo transporters to use the facility.

Emergency landing

“There is no plane fuel in the region and in case there is an emergency landing, there is nothing we can offer,” he said.

Though the length of the airport’s runway was extended, Okumu said this has not attracted regional businesses from using the facility.The runway was extended from 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) to 3.3 kilometres (2.1 miles) giving the airport the capacity to handle large capacity passenger and cargo aircraft.

The facility can handle big jumbo jets with ease besides having the capacity to receive large airliners, that is aircraft such as Boeing 767 or Airbus 300s and 310s.

With new facilities the facility can now handle about 14 flights including scheduled, chartered and nonscheduled arrivals and departures daily, down from 10 before the expansion.