NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 9- The government is tightening operational and security controls at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), deploying new flight-information and passenger-data systems as it seeks to improve processing, strengthen oversight and curb irregular baggage handling.
The measures include the rollout of the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) to streamline the identification and management of arriving and departing domestic and international flights.
The Ministry of Interior and National Administration(MINA) said the government is also advancing implementation of the Advanced Passenger Registration (APR) system, with associated data-control facilities expected to become operational within the next month, according to an update by the Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee (BCOCC).
The measures are part of a wider optimisation of JKIA under the government’s 154.2 billion modernisation programme, which is aimed at increasing passenger capacity and strengthening the airport’s position as a regional aviation hub.
Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo, who chairs the BCOCC, said agencies must ensure decisions reached by the committee result in concrete action.
“When we agree on certain things, it is critical that we follow them through. So that it is not just an issue of simply ticking the boxes,” Omollo said.
Under the optimisation plan, terminals will have a centralised system for airline check-in and passenger screening, alongside clearer separation of arrivals and departures.
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) is also proceeding with construction of a new terminal, with the contractor already on site.
The project is expected to take 54 months and add capacity for about 10 million passengers annually.
The government expects the wider optimisation programme to raise JKIA’s passenger-handling capacity from about 8 million to 12 million passengers annually.
The tightening of controls also extends to baggage and cargo handling.
KAA has begun enforcing procedures requiring airlines to ensure baggage is properly identified and processed either as passenger luggage or cargo.
Passengers travelling to Nairobi have been warned against attaching their luggage to that of other passengers, with baggage found to have been handled in this manner subject to return at the passenger’s expense.
Cargo, meanwhile, must pass through designated terminals and authorised procedures. Airlines found facilitating the movement of cargo outside approved channels could face regulatory action, including suspension.
The BCOCC said the measures are intended to curb irregular baggage practices, including the movement of luggage beyond permissible passenger-baggage limits and breaches of aviation safety and baggage-size requirements set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and carrier-specific requirements contained in Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) advisory guidelines.
Immigration Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said the new systems must be accompanied by closer cooperation among agencies responsible for border control and airport operations.
“We need a relationship between all the agencies. We need a coordinated approach; one that is intelligence-led, walk together, knowing that we have a common focus on ensuring that our country is able to secure itself, while ensuring that we don’t compromise on travel and trade,” Kipsang said.
JKIA handles about 8.8 million passengers and more than 358 kilotonnes of cargo annually, making it a critical gateway for Kenya and the wider region.
About 60 per cent of passengers processed at the airport are transit passengers, underscoring the importance of faster processing and coordinated border controls as Kenya seeks to maintain JKIA’s role as a regional transit hub.
