Kenya's airport gets funding for upgrades

Kenya’s airports authority has secured funding to build a new terminal and second runway at its main Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) which was hit by a massive fire earlier this year. Three banks have provisionally committed to funding the US$653m upgrade, which will allow the facility to handle another 40 million passengers a year, according to Kenyan transport secretary Michael Kamau. JKIA is the busiest flight hub in East and Central Africa, and is in the process of a major upgrade project that started six years ago. Constructed in 1978 to accommodate 2.5 million passengers annually, foot traffic at JKIA has nearly tripled. It handles over of 400 000 tons of cargo a year, making it one of Africa’s busiest air cargo hubs. INSERT $653m The cost of the JKIA upgrade