Transport

Domestic airlines suspend flights to Wilson Airport

wilson-airport1

A section of Wilson Airport. Jet fuel purchases by airlines increased by 11.1 percent last year. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Domestic carriers operating from Wilson Airport in Nairobi have been forced to reschedule their flights following a military training around the airport's airspace ahead of Madaraka Day Celebration tomorrow.

The closure has affected a number of flights especially those used by tourists visiting various parts of the country.

Flights that operate domestic destinations such as Kisumu, Eldoret, and Mombasa were also affected by the latest flight disruption.

Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) confirmed the closure saying it starts today from 4 pm to 9 pm.

“The Notice to Airmen is to facilitate the Military exercises that take place during the celebrations,” said KCAA in a response to a Business Daily query Tuesday.

Airlines such as Safarilink have already rescheduled their flight following the temporary disruption.

The airline that flies routes such as Diani and Kisumu as well as major tourist destinations of Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Lewa Downs, and Kilimanjaro among other routes said its customer took the early morning flights as well the afternoon flights.

"We had to reschedule some of our flights at Wilson due to this Notam. This is costly to us because it means we have to get ground handlers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport," said Safarikink CEO Alex Avedi on Tuesday.

Wilson Airport is the main hub for light aircraft flying within Kenya and neighbouring countries.

It is one of the busiest light aircraft airports in Africa.

The airport serves domestic and international traffic. It is used mostly by general aviation traffic.

Some of the carriers that operate at the airport include Safarilink Aviation, Renegade Air, Freedom Airline, Skyward Express among others.