Kenya is tightening operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in a bid to improve passenger processing, baggage handling and the overall flow of traffic through the country’s main aviation hub.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the measures include greater use of digital systems to identify passengers and process luggage and cargo.
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has also begun enforcing stricter baggage-handling procedures at the airport.
Airlines have been asked to ensure that luggage is correctly identified and handled either as passenger baggage or cargo, depending on its classification.
Passengers travelling to Nairobi have also been warned against combining their luggage with that of other travellers.
“Passengers travelling to Nairobi have also been advised against attaching their luggage to that of other passengers,” Omollo said. He added that any baggage found to have been handled in this way could be returned at the passenger’s expense.
The measures are intended to address irregular baggage practices while keeping airport operations in line with aviation safety and baggage requirements. KCAA already maintains guidance covering carry-on baggage and ground-handling procedures for air operators.
Another change in the works is the introduction of the Automatic Terminal Information Service, known as ATIS. The system is expected to improve the identification and management of arriving and departing flights.
Under the wider plan, airport terminals will move towards a centralised system for airline check-in and passenger screening. Areas for arrivals and departures will also be more clearly defined.
The government is also planning a new terminal at JKIA. Construction is expected to take 54 months, with the facility projected to add capacity for about 10 million passengers a year.
JKIA currently handles about 8.8 million passengers and more than 358,000 tonnes of cargo annually, according to the figures cited by the government.
About 60 per cent of passengers passing through the airport are transit travellers, underlining JKIA’s role as a major regional connection point.
The changes come as authorities seek to improve the airport’s capacity and day-to-day operations while maintaining aviation safety standards. KCAA’s current regulatory framework includes oversight of airport facilitation, ground handling and baggage procedures.
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