Malindi Airport
Malindi International Airport is an airport in Kenya. It serves the coastal towns of Malindi, Watamu, Mambrui, and the greater northern coast tourism circuit.
Location
It is located west of the central business district of the town of Malindi, in Kilifi County, in southeastern Kenya, at the Indian Ocean coast. This is about, by road and about, by air, northeast of Moi International Airport, the nearest international airport. It is approximately, by road and approximately, by air, southeast of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the largest airport in Kenya. The coordinates of Malindi Airport are 03°12'54.0"S, 40°06'00.0"E.
Overview
The airport is a medium-sized airport that serves the town of Malindi and is situated at an average elevation of above sea level. The airport has two bitumen runways: Runway 17/35 measures long and is wide, and Runway 08/26 measures and is wide. The Kenyan government funded the updating and expansion of the Malindi Airport terminal building, construction of a new control tower and rehabilitation of the runways. The upgrades were carried out by Dickways Construction between 2011 and 2012, and cost KES:200 million. The airport has immigration and customs facilities and is open for international operations daily from 06:00 to 18:30 local time. Expansion plans are underway to upgrade its infrastructure and support larger aircraft and more frequent international traffic.
Future expansion
The Kenyan government seeks to expand Malindi Airport in order to attract direct international flights. Plans are underway to extend Runway 17/35 to a length of. In 2016, work began to enlarge the apron to accommodate more aircraft, build a perimeter fence and construct a parking facility that accommodates 500 vehicles. That phase is expected to conclude in December 2016. The work has been delayed by individuals and groups demanding compensation for land required for the expansion. In January 2018, the National Land Commission of Kenya, earmarked KSh424 million to compensate 175 landowners for of land and pave the way for airport expansion.