Report: JKIA world’s second fastest growing cargo airport

Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport which has been ranked as the second fastest growing cargo airport in the world in the list of those handling 250,000 metric tons.

By  BERNARDINE MUTANU

What you need to know:

  • JKIA has recently witnessed a significant increase in air cargo to and from Europe, Asia, America, China and Australia.
  • KAA attributed the increased air cargo to entry of modern transit sheds which have increased annual overall cargo to 1.2 million tons.
  • Mitchell Cotts, a leading cargo and logistics company, is building a new shed at the airport.

Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is the second fastest growing cargo airport in the world.

According to the World Airport Traffic Report, JKIA was ranked second in the list of airports which handle 250,000 metric tons of air cargo.

In 2018, the airport handled 342,000 tons of air cargo, a growth of 25 percent compared with the same period last year.

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The report which was released by Airports Council International (ACI) shows that JKIA was second to Rockford Airport, USA, which handled 306,332 tons of air cargo.

According to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), JKIA has recently witnessed a significant increase in air cargo to and from Europe, Asia, America, China and Australia.

TRANSIT SHEDS

“This is what has culminated in JKIA being an emerging force and destination in the air cargo industry,” said KAA in a press statement.

The authority attributed the increased air cargo to entry of modern transit sheds which have increased annual overall cargo to 1.2 million tons, the latest being the Mitchell Cotts, a leading cargo and logistics company which is building a new shed at the airport.

“Once complete, the new development is expected to inject an additional annual capacity of 150,000 metric tons at the airport,” stated KAA.

Last year, Astral Aviation, a cargo airline operating from the airport, acquired three Boeing 747-400 cargo aircraft to boost its freight capacity and expand its network.

IMPROVE FACILITIES

“This award validates our ongoing efforts in improving facilities at the JKIA cargo area. This is an exciting time for Kenya, the face of cargo is changing, and we are positioning JKIA as the premier cargo distribution centre for online commerce companies in the region,” said KAA CEO Jonny Anderson.

The top five airports in terms of total cargo volumes are Hong Kong International Airport, Memphis International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Incheon International Airport, and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport respectively according to ACI.

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