KAA invites tenders for construction of the second runway at the JKIA

0
222

By Glenna Nyamwaya

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has invited interested firms to tender for the construction of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s second runway in Nairobi. This follows the approval of a Sh16.1billion loan by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in November 2017 for the project.

Besides providing financial support for the runway, the bank is also responsible for the design of the path. Construction is set to begin in June this year after the award of the tender to the successful bidder.

“The consultant is expected to review the designs and ensure that the project is implemented in accordance with the general and particular conditions of the contract, the technical specifications, and engineering drawings,” said KAA in a notice.

The consultant will also be expected to ensure that the project is implemented within the contract price and the time earmarked for completion. Total works for the project which is part of the larger JKIA Airfield Expansion Project is estimated to cost Sh37 billion which the government is yet to raise, causing jitters about the eventual success of the project.

“The government intends to apply part of the proceeds of this loan for construction of the second runway at JKIA,” readthe notice. “The procurement of civil works will be carried out under open competitive bidding with post qualification of contractors,” it further reads.

In 2016, the government abandoned plans for a Sh56 billion Greenfield Terminal Project citing lack of value for money in the project as the cost of construction would be higher than the gains it would bring about. KAA also noted that refurbishment of facilities at the JKIA had increased the airport’s capacity in excess.

The government instead opted to build a second runway at the JKIA which is the busiest airport in the East Africa region. The runway plan entails construction of a 4.8km long and 75 meter wide runway in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Category Two (CAT-2) standards, including connecting taxiways, additional parking stands for aircraft and an air rescue firefighting unit.

The project, which was first announced in 2013, was initially halted due to lack of funds but has since been revived due to the partial funding from AfDB. KAA further said it was also looking for another contractor toconduct a baseline survey on the existing economic, social and environmental conditions in the project area prior to its commencement.

“The consultant shall specifically be responsible for baseline data collection, mid-term, and post- construction assessment of impacts arising from the project,” said KAA in the notice. This will include assessing the impact that the project will have on air connectivity and trade, tourism, economic growth and regional integration.

The audit will gauge if the project will offer value for money. A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e consultant will be expected to continually monitor key aspects of the project in consultation with KAA. The project is designed to improve reliability of air transport to and from JKIA by reducing delays at peak hours and costly flight diversions arising from incidents on the existing runway.

It also involves configuration of the existing single runway that impedes the airport’s operational efficiency. In 2017, KAA Managing Director Johnny Andersen said the proposed runway will nearl y double the movement of aircraft from 25 to 45aeroplanes per hour, minimizing delays caused by mishaps on path.

“Moreover, the technology will enable operations in bad weather, thus avoiding diversion of aircraft,” he added. The only runway at the JKIA was constructed in the year 1978 and is operating at Category Flights Conditions level one (CAT-1) with a width of 45 meters and length of 4.1km, hindering the airport’s efficiency.

JKIA, which currently handles about 7.5 million passengers per year,is expected to handle slightly over 17 million passengers per year by the year 2020, making the second runway a welcome venture in realizing these numbers.

According to KAA, the planned upgrade will raise JKIA to world class standards, and see it handle new generation extra-wide-bodied airplanes such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing B747-800. In 2017, an aircraft crash- landed on the sole runway paralysing operations at the facility for several hours as flights were diverted to other airports. This painted the reality that another runway is long overdue.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here