Kenya is upgrading passenger processing and flight management at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). The changes are part of a Sh154.2 billion modernization programme aimed at improving efficiency, security and airport capacity.
The government is deploying an Automatic Terminal Information Service to manage arriving and departing flights. At the same time, it is advancing an Advanced Passenger Registration system.
The data-control facilities for the passenger registration system are expected to become operational within the next month. This could improve how passenger information is managed as traffic through JKIA grows. The terminals will also receive centralized airline check-in and passenger-screening systems. These systems will support clearer separation between arriving and departing passengers.
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has also started building a new terminal. Construction is expected to take 54 months, while the facility will add capacity for about 10 million passengers each year. The wider programme targets an increase in JKIA’s annual handling capacity. It aims to raise the figure from about eight million to 12 million passengers.
The modernisation is also expected to strengthen baggage and cargo controls. KAA is tightening procedures, and airlines will have to process items through approved passenger-luggage or cargo channels.
Passengers travelling to Nairobi have also been warned against attaching their luggage to that of other travellers. Such arrangements could create problems because improperly handled baggage may be returned at the passenger’s expense.
The authority is also tightening controls on cargo movement. Airlines that move cargo outside designated terminals and authorised procedures could face regulatory action.
The changes come as Kenya seeks to modernise JKIA and prepare it for higher passenger volumes. Therefore, the investment combines new technology, stronger controls and additional terminal capacity to improve airport operations.