Chinese jkia 11 Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has advised travellers to arrive at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) four hours before the departure of their flights.
KAA acting Managing Director Alex Gitari said the airport is starting a one-year facelift of its international departure terminals to improve the passenger experience.
In a statement on Thursday, Gitari said the significant renovation will be carried out at the airport’s Terminals 1B and 1C.
“To minimise inconveniences, passengers have been requested to arrive at the airport at least four hours before their flight departures,” said Mr Gitari.
The project is estimated to cost Sh963 million and aims to refurbish the departure halls to improve check-in, security screening, retail operations, and passenger lounge experience.
According to KAA, once completed, the newly renovated light-filled departure terminals will deliver modern concessions and amenities to give travellers a friendly and more memorable experience.
The improvements are further expected to ease passenger flow and increase efficiency due to the centralisation of security screening procedures and reallocation of available floor spaces to international departure gates.
“The remodeling project is an integral part of the ongoing JKIA Customers Service Improvement Plan (CSIP), which was formulated from feedback from our stakeholders and customers,” he said.
To facilitate convenience to passengers and avoid disruptions, KAA has directed that airlines which have been operating from Terminal 1B and 1C temporarily relocate to Terminal 1A which is exclusively being used by national carrier Kenya Airways and its SkyTeam members and Terminal 2 which is mainly operated regional low-cost carriers.
The refurbishment is part of the JKIA expansion strategy which seeks to boost the capacity of the airport to handle at least 25 million passengers in five years from the current 7 million.