NEW ISIOLO AIRPORT EXPECTED TO BOOST TOURISM FOR KENYA’S NORTH
(Posted 29th September 2016)
When former President Mwai Kibaki laid the foundation stone for the planned new Isiolo Airport in February 2013 did completion and use of the new facility seem ages away.
The wait however will soon be over as sources in Nairobi have suggested that the opening for flight operations may now just be a couple of weeks away.
President Uhuru Kenyatta will officially open the new airport early next year but work will continue to further extend the runway from the present 1.4 kilometres,suitable for most turboprop aircraft, to 2.5 kilometres able to handle even small jets.
Isiolo is the gateway to such renowned conservation areas like Lewa Downs – which has its own airstrip for light aircraft – but also the Samburu Game Reserve, the Buffalo Springs Game Reserve and Shaba, all part of a greater ecosystem in the North of Kenya. It is in fact in this part of the country where under the Northern Rangelands Trust a number of private conservancies and game sanctuaries have come together to serve the local communities who have agreed to set aside major parts of their land for conservation purposes and of course to attract tourist visitors.
The 5.000 square metre large new terminal facility is able to handle as many as 125.000 passengers per annum, in other words more than 10.000 per month though it will take a while before these figures are reached.
