Jomo Kenyatta International Airport's Terminal 1E is set to close to allow expansion of Terminal 1D. Private cars will be barred from the main terminal area, with drop-offs and pickups redirected to near the long-term car park. This initial phase aims to ease pressure and boost capacity to 12 million passengers annually.
Temporary parking spaces and Terminal 1E at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) are set to be removed to make way for terminal expansion aimed at boosting capacity immediately. According to a proposal from the private firm tasked with drafting the airport's revamp masterplan, private cars will be temporarily banned from the main terminal area. Only airport taxis and ride-hailing services will access it, while private vehicles must drop off or pick up passengers near the long-term car park—unlike the current setup allowing entry into the circular terminal zone.
The plan also calls for additional check-in and security screening points to cut long queues. It proposes merging Terminals 1B and 1C into a single larger facility for all international departures. With Terminal 1E closing, international arrivals will shift to Terminal 1A, presently used by the national carrier. This will free space to expand the overburdened Terminal 1D, dedicated solely to domestic departures and arrivals.
This opening phase seeks to quickly alleviate strain on current infrastructure, buying time for a new terminal and runway that could lift JKIA's overall capacity to 22.3 million passengers by 2029. The airport now handles 7.5 million passengers yearly, with potential to reach 12 million soon. Presenting the masterplan at a high-level stakeholder forum in Nairobi on February 26, Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) Managing Director Mohamud Gedi stated, “Developed with the global expertise of Dar Al-Handasah, this master plan, together with the JKIA Optimisation Project, provides a clear, resilient and sustainable roadmap for the airport’s long-term growth, fully aligned with Kenya Vision 2030.”
Earlier this month, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Teresia Mbaika, noted the government would leverage local engineering talent in these multi-billion-shilling expansion projects.