Kenya's Airport Future Unlocks
Kenya Awards Dar Al-Handasah Contract to Modernize JKIA, Targeting 22 Million Passengers by 2045
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Key Points
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JKIA is currently operating well beyond its design capacity: 8.93 million passengers in 2025, exceeding the 7.5 million design figure, with projections to reach about 22.3 million passengers annually by 2045 and cargo volumes rising from around 407,214 tonnes in 2025 to about 860,400 tonnes by 2045.
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The first phase of works targets a 12 million passenger capacity within 18 months, including upgrading the runway, adding a partial parallel taxiway, two exit taxiways and a runway-end exit taxiway, plus expanded terminals and digitised passenger processing.
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A separate CRBC deal, worth 154.2 billion Kenyan shillings (about USD 1.19 billion), covers the physical expansion of JKIA and was signed in June as part of the overall modernization package.
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Dar Al-Handasah is a globally renowned engineering consultancy with a track record including work on King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, and it has been involved with JKIA since developing the Integrated Master Plan and Feasibility Study for the project.
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Beyond the terminal and airside upgrades, the modernization plan envisions an airport city and associated special economic zones as part of Kenya’s 20-year master plan to position JKIA as Africa’s premier aviation gateway and regional cargo hub.
Kenya has signed a formal engineer-consultant contract appointing Dar Al-Handasah Consultants to oversee the modernisation of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), according to Mjengohub. The signing was witnessed by Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir and marks the shift from planning to active execution on one of the country's biggest infrastructure projects.
The consultancy will handle design review, project management, contract administration and construction supervision, People Daily reported. The move is tied to a broader KES 154.2 billion — roughly USD 1.19 billion — physical expansion contract already signed with China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) in June.
JKIA Is Already Bursting at the Seams
JKIA was designed to handle 7.5 million passengers a year. It is already processing 8.93 million, according to 001 FM. That gap is only set to grow. Projections show the airport will need to serve around 22.3 million passengers annually by 2045. Cargo volumes are expected to nearly double too — from about 407,214 tonnes today to roughly 860,400 tonnes by 2045.
The overcrowding drives the urgency behind the upgrade. Officials say the modernisation will expand passenger terminals, improve airside operations and build out cargo logistics infrastructure, Streamline Feed reported. The goal is to turn JKIA into Africa's premier aviation gateway and a major regional cargo hub.
Phase One Targets 12 Million Passengers in 18 Months
The first phase of works aims to lift capacity to 12 million passengers within 18 months, People Daily reported. That means upgrading the runway and adding a partial parallel taxiway, two exit taxiways and a runway-end exit taxiway. Passenger terminals will be expanded and check-in and processing will be digitised.
Later phases push the target toward the 22 million mark by 2045. The long-term plan also envisions an airport city and special economic zones around JKIA as part of a 20-year master plan, according to Mjengohub. Officials say the project will create jobs and boost trade and tourism across the region.
Dar Al-Handasah Brings a Global Track Record to the Job
Dar Al-Handasah is a Lebanon-based engineering firm with a long list of major projects behind it. One of its best-known jobs is King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Streamline Feed reported. The firm is not new to JKIA either — it previously developed the Integrated Master Plan and Feasibility Study for this very project.
That prior work means the consultancy already knows the site and its constraints. Kenyan officials called its appointment a pivotal step, according to 001 FM. The firm's role now covers the full supervision cycle — from checking designs to managing contracts to overseeing construction on the ground.
A USD 1.19 Billion Deal with CRBC Anchors the Wider Package
The physical expansion work itself sits under a separate contract. CRBC signed a KES 154.2 billion deal — about USD 1.19 billion — in June to carry out the construction, Streamline Feed reported. That contract covers the expansion of JKIA's terminals and its cargo infrastructure.
The Dar Al-Handasah appointment sits on top of that deal, providing independent oversight of what CRBC builds. Together, the two contracts form the core of Kenya's plan to remake JKIA into a world-class facility that meets international standards, People Daily reported.
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