KIA | East Africa Travel Company
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KIA (Kilimanjaro International Airport) (KIA) (IATA: JRO, ICAO: HTKJ) is a world airport in northern Tanzania that serves the cities of Arusha and Kilimanjaro Moshi.
The airport handled 802,731 passengers in 2014 and mainly serves regional flights also as a couple of long-haul services thanks to its importance as a leisure destination.
KIA
Kilimanjaro International Airport
There is no competition for Kilimanjaro International Airport when it comes to being the gateway to African heritage. The airport is situated in the shadow of the northern Tanzanian tourist attractions.
It is the only airport that is closer to three of Africa’s voted natural wonders than any other airport. You can see Mount Kilimanjaro just from the airport than from any other airport under the sun.
In the middle of three natural wonders of Africa; Mount Kilimanjaro, the Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti National Park, the Kilimanjaro International Airport unfolds with patience.
The Kilimanjaro Airport helps you escape the ordinary by offering abundant mentions of the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Kilimanjaro Mountains. A relaxing holiday in Tanzania’s unrivaled national parks can begin at the airport. Kilimanjaro International Airport welcomes you.
World airport in northern Tanzania
KIA (Kilimanjaro International Airport) is a world airport in northern Tanzania that serves the cities of Arusha and Moshi. The airport handled 802,731 passengers in 2014 and mainly serves regional flights also as a couple of long-haul services thanks to its importance as a leisure destination.
Many international visitors also attend national parks in Tanzania, the Indian Ocean coast, islands like Zanzibar, and Lake Victoria, as reflected within the routes of connecting flights. Despite its small size, the airport can handle aircraft as large as Boeing 747s and Antonov 124s.
The airport served 665,147 passengers in 2012, a 3.7 percent increase over 2011.
The airport served 802,731 passengers in 2014, of whom 45 percent were international, 38 percent domestic, and 17 percent transit.
On 19 February 2014, the governments of Tanzania and therefore the Netherlands signed a grant arrangement to rehabilitate the airport, including its aprons, taxiways, and terminal building.
Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) is located in northern Tanzania between the cities of Moshi and Arusha.
KIA - Gateway to Africa’s
Additionally known as the ‘Gateway to Africa’s Wildlife Heritage’, it is the first privatized international airport in Africa and is operated by Kilimanjaro Airports Development Company (KADCO), a company owned by the Government of Tanzania. In 2013 and 2014, the airport received the Routes Africa Marketing Award.
In addition to Royal Dutch Airlines, Qatar Airways, Fly Dubai, Turkish Airlines and Kenya Airways operate from the airport.
Built on 11,000ha, the airport was officially opened in 1971. The old terminal was designed to handle 200,000 passengers per year but was expanded to handle one million passengers per year.
A rehabilitation and extension program was announced by the airport authorities in 2015 to deal with the increasing traffic at the airport.
Reconstruction and expansion of Kilimanjaro International Airport
In March 2015, the rehabilitation and extension project was awarded to Dutch company BAM International. Several facilities at the airport will be designed and built under the €37m ($40m) contract.
“The airport won the Routes Africa Marketing Award in 2013 and 2014.”
The project includes renovation of the old terminal building, construction of a new parallel taxiway of 1.1km length, expansion of existing taxiways and aprons, runway repairs, and drainage and sewage works. The expansion will include new airfield ground lighting and floodlights along the apron.
The renovated terminal building will feature modern restaurants and passenger waiting areas. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in 2017.
KIA - Renovation financing
The Dutch Government granted €15m ($16m) for the project through the Facility for Infrastructure Development (ORIO) program. The remaining amount will be arranged by the Government of Tanzania through commercial financing.
Existing facilities at KIA
KIA’s terminal facilities are designed to save passengers time when moving from arrival halls and departure lounges to parking areas and vice versa.
The terminal building has well-marked check-in desks located in spacious halls. Restaurants, coffee shops, a bar, and gift and souvenir shops are located in the terminal’s departure halls. Passengers are assisted by a modern personal assistant and flight information display system.
There are also VIP and business-class lounges at the airport. VIP lounges offer comfortable seating as well as other passenger services such as wireless internet access and travel document handling.
A baggage reclaims system with two conveyor belt systems located within 200m of the apron will reduce baggage waiting times.
Kilimanjaro Airport’s runway and hangar facilities
There is a single runway at the airport, designated as Runway 09/27, which has a length of 3,600m and a width of 45m. The runway is surfaced with tarmac and can accommodate large commercial aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400 series and Antonov 124.
KIA - The total cost
The total cost of the project is predicted to be €35.5 million, with €15.0 million funded by the Netherlands and therefore the remainder by Tanzania.
The already completed design phase was financed entirely by the Dutch government. In November 2015, renovations began at the airport, aimed at doubling its capacity from the present 600,000 passengers to 1.2 million annually.
The renovation work is being done by BAM International, at a price of US$39.7 million. Renovations are expected to last until May 2017. BAM International may be a subsidiary of the Royal BAM Group in the Netherlands.
KIA - Airlines Destinations
Airkenya Express Nairobi–Wilson
Air Tanzania Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, Zanzibar
Coastal Aviation Arusha, Lake Manyara, Mwanza, Seronera, Zanzibar
Condor Seasonal: Frankfurt
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa
flydubai Dubai–International
Kenya Airways Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta
KLM Amsterdam
Precision Air Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, Mwanza, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta, Zanzibar
Qatar Airways Doha
Regional Air Services Arusha, Lake Manyara
RwandAir Kigali
Safarilink Aviation Nairobi–Wilson
Turkish Airlines Istanbul
Uganda Airlines Entebbe
KIA - Notes:
1: Condor’s outbound flights from Kilimanjaro to Frankfurt make a stop in Mombasa. However, the airline doesn’t have the traffic right to move passengers solely between Kilimanjaro and Mombasa.
2: KLM’s outbound flights from Kilimanjaro to Amsterdam make a stop in Dar es Salaam. However, the airline doesn’t have the traffic right to move passengers solely between Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam.
3: Qatar Airways’ outbound flights from Kilimanjaro to Doha make a stop in Dar Es Salaam. However, the airline doesn’t have traffic rights to move passengers solely between Kilimanjaro and Dar Es Salaam.
4: Turkish Airlines’ inbound flights from Istanbul to Kilimanjaro make a stop in Zanzibar. However, the airline doesn’t have traffic rights to move passengers solely between Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro.