Government rolls out measures to improve services at JKIA

The government has rolled out a raft of measures to improve passenger processing, strengthen security controls and enhance operational efficiency at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as it seeks to position the facility as a leading aviation hub in the region.

The measures include the deployment of the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS), which is expected to improve the identification and management of departing and arriving flights, both domestic and international.

Under the optimisation plan, the airport terminals will have a centralised system for airline check-in and passenger screening, with clearer designation of areas primarily serving arrivals and departures.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) said the modernisation programme also includes construction of a new terminal, with the contractor already on site. The project is expected to take 54 months and increase the airport's capacity by about 10 million passengers annually.

The measures were announced during the 69th meeting of the Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee (BCOCC), chaired by Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo.

The government is also advancing implementation of the Advanced Passenger Registration (APR) system to improve information sharing and situational awareness among agencies operating at the airport. The associated data-control facilities are expected to be operational within the next month.

PS Omollo emphasised that agencies must ensure that resolutions reached by the committee translate into concrete action rather than remaining administrative commitments.

"When we agree on certain things, it is critical that we follow them through. So that it is not just an issue of simply ticking the boxes," he said.

Immigration PS Belio Kipsang called for closer collaboration among agencies, saying security measures must be implemented without undermining travel and trade.

"We need a relationship between all the agencies. We need a coordinated approach; one that is intelligence-led, walk together, knowing that we have a common focus on ensuring that our country is able to secure itself, while ensuring that we don't compromise on travel and trade," he said.

KAA has also stepped up enforcement of baggage-handling procedures, requiring airlines to ensure luggage is properly identified and processed either as passenger baggage or cargo.

Passengers travelling to Nairobi have been warned against attaching their luggage to that of other travellers. Baggage found to have been handled in breach of the rules will be returned at the passenger's own cost.

Cargo must similarly pass through designated terminals, with airlines facilitating movement outside authorised channels facing regulatory action, including suspension where applicable.

The measures are part of the Sh154.2 billion JKIA modernisation programme, which seeks to expand capacity and improve efficiency.

JKIA currently handles about 8.8 million passengers and more than 358 kilotonnes of cargo annually, with transit passengers accounting for about 60 per cent of those processed at the facility.

According to JKIA's management, the optimisation plan is expected to raise passenger-handling capacity from approximately eight million to 12 million passengers annually.