It was learned that the various ongoing work stages of the reconstruction of the Kisumu Airport will be fine-tuned, to allow for a full re-opening by latest August of this year. The contractors will concentrate on completing the runway shoulders and the runway extension with absolute priority, while additional car park facilities and a completely new cargo parking area will be added at a later stage, in order to get the most out of the available funding at this time.
There is reportedly also a downsizing of the airport terminal building in the making, although no specific details could be obtained from sources in Kisumu willing to discuss the changes.
A full rehabilitation and expansion was floated by the previous Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) management, but it would appear that a reality check set in when the KAA board reviewed available funds versus the ambitious projects previously sold to an unsuspecting public.
Kisumu can presently only receive smaller narrow-bodied aircraft up to the size of a B737, but when the runway expansion is completed, wide-bodied aircraft, up to the size of a B767 or similar, can land and take off from the lakeside airport without restrictions.