SMALLER AIRCRAFTS.

By Agwanda Jakorandoh

Airlines operating at the Kisumu Airport have been told to use smaller aircrafts or discontinue their operations as expansion of Kisumu airport to international standards enters its advance stage.

Kenya airports authority managing Director George Muhoho said that the ban on use of heavy flights will starts this month for a period of four months after which the extension of the run way will have been completed.

Speaking in Kisumu when he toured the progress of the airport expansion, Muhoho said, engineers will be busy constructing at the existing 2 kilometer run way thereby leaving a paltry 1200 meters for both landing and take off which can not be used by the heavy airlines.

We have instructed the airlines to start using the smaller aircrafts and for those who don’t have small one they will have to continue since the run way does not favor them, this will go up to four months before they start their normal operations”, said Muhoho.

The KAA boss expressed his satisfaction at the progress of the airport construction saying nearly 70 percent of the works have been completed at the run way which is the tedius stage in developing the airport.

The engineers are within time; at this point they have done over 70 percent of the Run way which is the difficult part in airport construction added.

During the tour, it emerged that the airport will not be completed as expected owing to financial constraints that have forced KAA to extend some of the development in the second phase of the expansion.

Development of cargo area and extension of run way to 3.3 kilometers have been pushed to the second phase even as pundits raise concern that it will deprive the airports its much awaited international status.

Muhoho said, the 3.3 kilometers is not necessary as at now since the extension will serve the demand of the airport currently before the start of the second phase, part of the new terminal will be used as cargo zone as the authority waits to kick off the second phase.

“Because of our low altitude, the expanded airport will not need a very long runway like in other airports. We will be in a position to handle more and bigger aircraft with the 3. Km runway,” said Muhoho.

Initials rehabilitation and expansion plans included lengthening the 1.7km runway to 3.3 kilometers and widen from 30 meter to 45 meter for it to accommodate bigger planes like the 400 seater Boeing 767.

The MD was speaking before Nyanza PC Paul Olando and senior engineers from the Chinese oversees engineering Company, COVEC, the main contractors of the airport who complained of local’s encroachment into their activities.

COVEC resident as engineer Patrick Kain said, locals surrounding the airport have turned the site into a grazing land thereby interfering with the construction activities.

However, Muhoho urged the Provincial administration to assist in reversing the trend saying no body should use the land since all have been compensated.

He revealed that 80 percents of the locals who were laying claims to the land have been compensated while the remaining 20 percent are yet to be compensated as they square out their succession.

Once completed, the new airport would increase its revenue base from current limited potential; the airport has been able to collect more than Ksh40 million per year in landing fees.

It will also have a new lounge to handle up to 280 passengers an hour, a new spacious packing bay, a terminal building, an apron and taxiway.

The airport can only handle 12 scheduled flights a day, besides chartered flights, with the largest being the 85-seater capacity DC-90.

Domestic passengers include business people and politicians traveling to and from Nairobi . Regional passengers are mostly tourists from Tanzania visiting Mwanza, Musoma and the Maasai Mara National Park.

On completion, the airport would handle giant Boeing 737 planes that would fly directly from Kisumu to other international destinations.

 Ends..