Moi International Airport

Moi International Airport is an international airport in Mombasa, the second-largest city in Kenya. In 2020, the airport was heralded as the "Best Airport in Africa" by Airports Council International.

Overview

Moi International Airport serves the city of Mombasa and surrounding communities. It lies approximately, by air, southeast of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in the country. Mombasa Airport is operated by Kenya Airports Authority. It was named after former Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi during his tenure.
At above sea level, the airport has two runways: Runway 1 measures in length and is equipped with an ILS instrument landing system. Runway 2 measures in length. Both runways are bitumen paved.

History

The airport was built during the Second World War by the Engineer Corps of the South African Army. During the war, it was used by the Fleet Air Arm as a land base of the British Eastern Fleet which was based at nearby Kilindini Harbour from 1942, by the Royal Air Force which operated anti-submarine Catalina flying boats off the East Africa coast and by the South African Air Force which was engaged in the war against Italy in Abyssinia.
Benair Engineering constructed its first private aircraft maintenance hangar in 1997 as a temporary structure and it is still standing today. The hangar is located adjacent to the government hangar built to maintain Catalina aircraft during WW2 as part of the British East Africa war effort. Benair has been the principal aircraft maintenance facility since its inception at the Kenya coast and the name is based on the Chief engineer Geoffrey Benaglia. Principal customers include Dorenair, Dodsons International, Bluesky Aviation, Precision Air and Mombasa Air Safari.
Starting on 18 August 1992, Moi International Airport was used as the headquarters for the US Central Command's regional command and control headquarters for Operation Provide Relief until 4 December of that same year when it was subordinated and merged with Operation Restore Hope.
From July to September 1994, Moi International Airport was used almost continuously as a refueling station during the Operation Support Hope humanitarian mission into Rwanda. Empty C-141 and C-5 freighter jets returning to Europe flew to Mombasa due to the scarcity of fuel in the African interior. The airlift through Mombasa ceased by October due to runway expansion work.

Facilities

Moi International Airport has three terminals. Terminal 1 is used for international services, Terminal 2 handles domestic operations, and a separate General Aviation Terminal is used for private and charter flights.

Terminal 1: International flights

Terminal 1 is the main international terminal. It houses immigration and customs facilities, duty-free shops, departure and arrival gates, and baggage handling systems. Airlines operating scheduled and charter flights between Mombasa and Europe, the Middle East, and regional destinations use this terminal. Some airlines such as Kenya Airways use Terminal 1 for both domestic and international.

Terminal 2: Domestic flights

Terminal 2 is dedicated to domestic routes. It is used by carriers such as Jambojet and Safarilink for connections between Mombasa and Nairobi as well as other cities in Kenya. Facilities include check-in counters, baggage services, and passenger lounges.

General Aviation Terminal (GAT)

The General Aviation Terminal serves private aviation, business jets, and charter flights. It provides dedicated handling, quicker clearance, and facilities tailored for non-scheduled operations. It is also used for medical evacuation flights and high-end tourism charters

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Mombasa Moi Airport:

Accidents and incidents

In 2002, a group of terrorists fired two Strela missiles at an Israeli aircraft as they took off from Moi International Airport. Neither missile hit the aircraft.