Kenya has awarded the contract for the expansion of its main international airport to a Chinese construction company, reviving a long-delayed project aimed at easing congestion and strengthening Nairobi’s position as a regional aviation hub.
The government selected the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to undertake the expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after abandoning an earlier financing arrangement with India’s Adani Group.
The project will be financed through Kenya’s newly established National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), which has been capitalised using proceeds from the privatisation of Kenya Pipeline Company.
Officials say the expansion is critical to addressing capacity constraints at JKIA, which handled approximately 8.8 million passengers in 2025 despite having a design capacity of 8 million travellers annually.
The project forms part of a broader aviation master plan covering the period from 2025 to 2045 and is intended to support Kenya’s ambitions of maintaining Nairobi’s status as East Africa’s leading transport and logistics hub.
Under the plan, authorities intend to add capacity for an additional 15 million passengers through the construction of a new passenger terminal. The project also includes a new runway scheduled for completion by 2029.
Once completed, airport authorities expect aircraft movement capacity to increase from about 14 movements per hour to 63, significantly improving operational efficiency and reducing congestion.
The decision follows the collapse of a proposed US$1.85 billion investment agreement with Adani Group that would have granted the Indian conglomerate a 30-year operating concession in exchange for financing and modernising the airport.
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The proposal faced strong opposition from labour unions and airport workers, who argued that some contractual provisions were not in Kenya’s national interest. The deal was ultimately abandoned in late 2025 amid growing political and legal scrutiny surrounding the company.
The government subsequently opted for a state-backed financing model, using the newly created infrastructure fund to support strategic projects considered critical to national development.
JKIA serves as one of Africa’s busiest aviation gateways and is a key transit hub linking East Africa with Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The expansion comes as countries across the region invest heavily in airport infrastructure to accommodate rising passenger numbers and growing air cargo demand.
In neighbouring Rwanda, construction is advancing on Bugesera International Airport, which is expected to handle up to 14 million passengers annually when fully completed. The first phase is projected to open in 2027 with capacity for seven million travellers.
Meanwhile, Julius Nyerere International Airport has expanded capacity to eight million passengers annually as Tanzania continues upgrading its aviation infrastructure.
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In Ethiopia, authorities launched construction earlier this year on Bishoftu International Airport, a major new aviation hub designed to eventually handle up to 110 million passengers annually.
Analysts say Kenya’s decision to accelerate the JKIA expansion reflects growing competition among East African countries to capture a larger share of regional air traffic and logistics activity.
For Kenya, the project is expected to strengthen connectivity, support tourism and trade, and reinforce Nairobi’s role as a gateway for business and investment across the continent.
