Facilities review disaster response measures after JKIA fire

By MANGOA MOSOTA

Following the inferno in Nairobi, the four other international airports are reviewing their safety and disaster response measures. They are also speeding up upgrades to allow them handle diverted aircraft from other airports in the region in an emergency.

“Our facility has an automatic fire suppressant system connected to the central control room installed during its construction,” said Kisumu airport manager Joseph Okumu.

The airport has ad hoc flights from areas such as South Africa, European counties, Nigeria and Tanzania. Most of these arrivals are tourists. Okumu insists the runway, lengthened in a recent expansion, can take the large wide-body planes used on international flights.

“We have a 3.3km runway and it can allow even large planes to land and take off,” he said. However, when the inferno at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport erupted a fortnight ago, no international flights were diverted to Kisumu airport. The Standard On Saturday has learned this was because the airport does not have a jet fuel station for international flights. Sources said one such station was, however, being constructed as part of the renovations to be completed by the end of this month.

When asked about the matter, Okumu declined to be drawn into the subject saying the matter could only be handled by the KAA director. Okumu claims the airport’s safety standards surpass those set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA). The airport has three firefighting vehicles, two ambulances, one command vehicle. In addition, the facility has requisite personnel, who operate around the clock in shifts.

“The usual time for operation of the airport is from 6am to 11pm, but we have personnel available for emergencies past this time,” said Okumu, adding that they have sufficient fire extinguishers and hosepipes. He said there are smoke sensors, and in case of fire the control room is activated and alarm goes on.

Central place

“At that moment the hydrants release water and people at the airport have to move to a central place,” he added.  

The airport was expanded to international standards three years ago at a cost of over Sh3 billion and has a runway 3.3 kilometres long. It has three water tanks, each with 3,000 litres capacity, as well as reservoirs with a 150,000 cubic metre capacity for domestic usage and emergency. Okumu added the Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company has also set up hydrant for the airport’s usage.

Concern on the safety of Kenya’s four international and five domestic airports has heightened following the fire at JKIA, last week. The inferno destroyed the international arrival and departure sections. The incident has compelled the Government to set up a unit to handle national disasters.

Former Nyanza PPO Joseph Ole Tito will head the National Disaster Operations Centre. At the KIA, there is currently a second phase of development, which a cargo section that can host two large planes. Okumu said the section will be completed at the end of the year at a cost of about Sh1.7 billion.

It will also have a parallel taxiway. The airport is currently having an average traffic of 700 passengers daily, while the annual figure stands at 300,000.