Runway “in disintegration”, firefighting crisis and poor safety coordination push East Africa’s main gateway to the brink of international isolation
Kenya’s prized aviation gateway, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), is staring at an unprecedented safety and operational crisis that could cripple its long-haul services and deal a devastating blow to the economy.
A damning audit by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), conducted jointly with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), has exposed a catalogue of failures ranging from a crumbling runway to a dangerously understaffed firefighting department. The report warns that these lapses could strip Nairobi of its status as East Africa’s main aviation hub.
Runway in Ruins
The June 2025 audit reads like an indictment of neglect and mismanagement. Inspectors described JKIA’s only operational runway as being in “one stage or another of disintegration”, with thick rubber deposits covering the centreline markings and dangerously reducing friction levels. These conditions sharply increase the risk of runway excursions, particularly in wet weather.
This is not cosmetic wear and tear. These are the warning signs that precede disaster.
“The airport’s sole runway is in one stage or another of disintegration,” the IATA report warned.
Firefighting in Crisis
Even more alarming is the revelation that JKIA currently operates with only 77 active firefighting personnel, including trainees. The approved establishment is 143. The shortage has forced the airport into a punishing three-shift system that violates international fatigue and human-factor safety standards.
The audit recommends downgrading JKIA’s rescue and firefighting category from 9 to 7. Such a downgrade would immediately bar large aircraft such as the Boeing 777, Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 from using the airport.
The impact would be catastrophic for long-haul operations, cutting off Kenya Airways from key intercontinental routes and plunging the national carrier into an existential crisis.
Safety Systems in Chaos
The audit also revealed systemic failures across critical safety departments. Ground Flight Safety personnel and Air Traffic Control units operate without proper coordination or handover procedures, a gap that increases the risk of runway incursions and ground collisions.
Marshallers lack refresher training on standard ICAO signage and phraseology. Wildlife hazards are also poorly managed. Open drainages and stagnant water bodies near the cargo terminal attract birds and waterfowl, yet the wildlife control team remains undertrained and poorly equipped, with some officers lacking certification in safety management systems.
KAA Defends Itself
The Kenya Airports Authority has downplayed the report, insisting that the audit has been overtaken by events. Acting Managing Director Mohamud Gedi said the authority has already addressed most of the issues, claiming that comprehensive maintenance contracts now cover both the runway and taxiways.
“There are currently no potholes reported at the airport,” Gedi said. He added that 75 newly recruited firefighters completed training in June 2025 and that the authority has secured funding for a full runway resurfacing project.
Aviation unions and experts, however, remain skeptical. Kenya Aviation Workers Union Secretary-General Moss Ndiema said the authority’s reaction was typical of an organization that only responds under pressure.
“It shouldn’t take a foreign audit to trigger repairs,” Ndiema said. “KAA collects billions every year but cannot fix basic safety issues like friction testing, repainting and staffing.”
A Hub Under Siege
The crisis comes at a moment of maximum vulnerability for Kenya’s aviation sector. The collapse of the proposed Adani Group concession to modernize JKIA has left the airport without a clear investment plan. Meanwhile, regional competitors such as Kigali International Airport and Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam are expanding aggressively and positioning themselves to capture Nairobi’s hub traffic.
JKIA currently handles over seven million passengers annually and accounts for more than two-thirds of Kenya’s total air traffic. It serves as the artery for tourism, horticulture, and export industries that drive the national economy. A downgrade forcing long-haul flights to reroute through competing hubs would bleed billions in revenue and weaken Nairobi’s position as the region’s commercial capital.
Neglect and Governance Failure
What makes this crisis particularly damning is its preventability. None of the issues highlighted by IATA require advanced technology or massive capital expenditure. Routine runway repainting to ICAO standards, friction testing, proper wildlife management, and adequate staffing are basic operational measures that any serious aviation authority should maintain.
The continued failure to act exposes deep governance flaws and a lack of accountability within the airport’s management and oversight agencies.
The Clock Is Ticking
The IATA report has unsettled global airlines that rely on Nairobi as their East African gateway. If its recommendations are enforced, JKIA could lose its capacity to handle intercontinental flights and be relegated to a regional facility. For a country that prides itself as the region’s transport and logistics powerhouse, this would be a national embarrassment.
Unless the government moves swiftly to implement comprehensive reforms, Kenya risks watching its aviation crown slip away to better-managed regional rivals.
For now, JKIA remains operational, but barely. Each passing day without decisive action brings the airport closer to the brink. What was once a symbol of national pride now stands as a warning of how negligence can ground a country’s global ambitions.
