Construction work is ongoing on at the new transit shed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). The transit shed is aimed at expanding the facility’s cargo handling capacity by more than 10%.
Due to the rising air cargo competition from South Africa and Ethiopia as well as the rise in exports, especially horticulture, the construction work is expected to increase the number of transit sheds to six. Once completed, the transit shed will add the uplifts capacity of cargo facilitation at the airport.
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) is enhancing its exit and import handling capacity by 10,000 square metre in a bid to handle the increased tonnage of horticulture, which is one the country’s major exports.
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According to Evans Michoma, KAA Commercial Cargo Manager, the airport currently has five transit sheds which deal with the facilitation of cargo; exports and imports at the JKIA. The additional facility, by the name Mitchell Cott, is expected to be operational by September this year.
Cargo handling capacity
The handling capacity of the airport is currently at a million tonnes annually. However, once the construction of the new transit shed is complete the airport’s handling capacity is expected to go up by 150,000 tonnes per annum; such that one transit shed can handle about 800 to one million kilos in exports in a week.
Additionally, the Mitchel Cotts transit shed will include cold rooms, used for the preservation of flowers and vegetables, export area to receive and prepare cargo for loading aboard an aeroplane, an import area and a dry cargo area.
