Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a4572650db8d0ecd

Jump to content

Moi International Airport

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Port Reitz Airport)

Moi International Airport
The terminal building in 2025
Summary
Airport typePublic, Civilian
OperatorKenya Airports Authority
ServesMombasa
LocationMombasa, Kenya
Hub for
Elevation AMSL200 ft (61 m)
Coordinates04°02′24″S 39°35′24″E / 4.04000°S 39.59000°E / -4.04000; 39.59000
Website
Map
MBA is located in Kenya
MBA
MBA
Location of Moi International Airport in Kenya
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
03/21 10,990 3,350 Asphalt
15/33 4,473 1,363 Asphalt
Statistics (2013)
Passenger numbers1,313,168[1]

Moi International Airport (IATA: MBA, ICAO: HKMO) is an international airport in Mombasa, the second-largest city in Kenya. In 2020, the airport was heralded as the "Best Airport in Africa" (with under 2 million passengers annually) by Airports Council International.[2]

Overview

[edit]

Moi International Airport serves the city of Mombasa and surrounding communities. It lies approximately 425 kilometres (264 mi), by air, southeast of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in the country.[3] Mombasa Airport is operated by Kenya Airports Authority. It was named after former Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi during his tenure.

At 61 metres (200 ft) above sea level,[4] the airport has two runways: Runway 1 (3/21) measures 3,350 metres (10,990 ft) in length and is equipped with an ILS instrument landing system. Runway 2 (15/33) measures 1,260 metres (4,130 ft) in length.[5] Both runways are bitumen paved.

History

[edit]

The airport was built during the Second World War by the Engineer Corps of the South African Army.[citation needed] During the war, it was used by the Fleet Air Arm as a land base of the British Eastern Fleet which was based at nearby Kilindini Harbour from 1942, by the Royal Air Force (AHQ East Africa and No. 246 Wing RAF) which operated anti-submarine Catalina flying boats off the East Africa coast and by the South African Air Force which was engaged in the war against Italy in Abyssinia.[citation needed]

Benair Engineering constructed its first private aircraft maintenance hangar in 1997 as a temporary structure and it is still standing today.[citation needed] The hangar is located adjacent to the government hangar built to maintain Catalina aircraft during WW2 as part of the British East Africa war effort. Benair has been the principal aircraft maintenance facility since its inception at the Kenya coast and the name is based on the Chief engineer Geoffrey Benaglia. Principal customers include Dorenair, Dodsons International, Bluesky Aviation, Precision Air (Tanzania) and Mombasa Air Safari.[citation needed]

Starting on 18 August 1992, Moi International Airport was used as the headquarters for the US Central Command's regional command and control headquarters for Operation Provide Relief until 4 December of that same year when it was subordinated and merged with Operation Restore Hope.[citation needed]

From July to September 1994, Moi International Airport was used almost continuously as a refueling station during the Operation Support Hope humanitarian mission into Rwanda. Empty C-141 and C-5 freighter jets returning to Europe flew to Mombasa due to the scarcity of fuel in the African interior. The airlift through Mombasa ceased by October due to runway expansion work.[6]

Facilities

[edit]

Moi International Airport has three terminals. Terminal 1 is used for international services, Terminal 2 handles domestic operations, and a separate General Aviation Terminal is used for private and charter flights.

Terminal 1: International flights

[edit]

Terminal 1 is the main international terminal. It houses immigration and customs facilities, duty-free shops, departure and arrival gates, and baggage handling systems. Airlines operating scheduled and charter flights between Mombasa and Europe, the Middle East, and regional destinations use this terminal. Some airlines such as Kenya Airways use Terminal 1 for both domestic and international.

Terminal 2: Domestic flights

[edit]

Terminal 2 is dedicated to domestic routes. It is used by carriers such as Jambojet and Safarilink for connections between Mombasa and Nairobi as well as other cities in Kenya. Facilities include check-in counters, baggage services, and passenger lounges.

General Aviation Terminal (GAT)

[edit]

The General Aviation Terminal serves private aviation, business jets, and charter flights. It provides dedicated handling, quicker clearance, and facilities tailored for non-scheduled operations. It is also used for medical evacuation flights and high-end tourism charters

Capacity

[edit]

Moi International Airport operates below its overall annual passenger-handling capability, but concerns have been raised about congestion and the adequacy of its terminal facilities during peak periods. The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) reported 1,718,674 passengers in 2025 and stated in July 2026 that the airport remained below its overall handling capacity.[7][8] An East African Community transport study found that several terminal facilities were undersized for peak passenger volumes and prone to overcrowding and delays, while runway capacity remained adequate.[9] An Auditor-General inspection later identified deficiencies including a non-operational baggage conveyor, inadequate power supply and staffing shortages.[10]

Tourism-industry representatives have called for substantial expansion or replacement of the passenger terminals. In 2025, Monika Solanki, chair of the Coast branch of the Kenya Association of Tour Operators, described the terminal as "outdated and uninspiring" and called for a new facility with greater capacity, citing Mombasa's role as an international tourism gateway.[11]

Recent major rehabilitation works have focused primarily on airside infrastructure rather than replacement of the passenger terminals. French financing included approximately US$66 million for runway reconstruction,[12] with related works covering airside pavements, airfield lighting, water and power infrastructure.[13] Industry criticism has therefore focused principally on the adequacy of the passenger terminals, particularly for international traffic.[11]

Airlines and destinations

[edit]
Apron view
Departure gate area

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Mombasa Moi Airport:

AirlinesDestinations
748 Air Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta[14]
CondorSeasonal: Frankfurt[citation needed]
Discover AirlinesFrankfurt
Enter AirSeasonal charter: Wrocław[citation needed]
Ethiopian AirlinesAddis Ababa[15]
FlightlinkDar es Salaam, Zanzibar
flydubaiDubai–International[16][17]
Freedom Airline Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta[18]
JambojetEldoret, Kisumu, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta, Zanzibar[19]
Kenya AirwaysNairobi–Jomo Kenyatta[20][21]
Mombasa Air SafariAmboseli, Keekorok, Lamu, Malindi, Masai Mara, Ukunda/Diani Beach
NeosMilan–Malpensa
Seasonal: Rome–Fiumicino,[22] Verona[citation needed]
RwandairKigali, Zanzibar[23]
SafarilinkNairobi–Wilson, Zanzibar
Skyward ExpressDar es Salaam,[24] Lamu, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta, Nairobi–Wilson
SmartwingsSeasonal charter: Prague[25]
TUI fly Netherlands Seasonal charter: Amsterdam[26]
Turkish AirlinesIstanbul[27]
Uganda AirlinesEntebbe

Accidents and incidents

[edit]

In 2002, a group of terrorists fired two Strela missiles at an Israeli aircraft as they took off from Moi International Airport. Neither missile hit the aircraft.[28][29]

Statistics

[edit]
PassengersYear800,000900,0001,000,0001,100,0001,200,0001,300,0001,400,0001,500,0001,600,000200420072010201320162019PassengersAnnual passenger traffic

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "sadimsolutions.com » Kenyan airports passenger traffic declines by 5% 2013". sadimsolutions.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  2. ↑ "2020 - Best Airport by Size and Region - ACI World". aci.aero. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021.
  3. ↑ "Distance between Mombasa () (Airport) and Jomo Kenyatta Airport Nairobi (Nairobi Area) (Kenya)". GlobeFeed.com. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "Mombasa – Moi International Airport (MBA)". AirGorilla. Archived from the original on 4 February 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Mombasa - Moi Int´l Airport (MBA/HKMO)". Virtual Globetrotting. 26 May 2006. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "Expeditionary Air Operations in Africa Challenges and Solutions" (PDF).
  7. ↑ Oketch, Willis (28 January 2026). "More airport traffic after partial open sky policy". The Standard. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
  8. ↑ Oketch, Willis (16 July 2026). "KAA to modernise airports amid increased cargo and passenger traffic". The Standard. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
  9. ↑ EAC Transport Strategy and Regional Roads Sector Development Program (Report). East African Community. 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
  10. ↑ Mwai, Mercy. "Wilson, Moi international airports in deplorable shape too". People Daily. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
  11. 1 2 Akinyi, Harriet (8 August 2025). "Diani Airport upgrade: Game changer for Kenya's coastal tourism". Southern & East African Tourism Update. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
  12. ↑ Kenya Transport Sector Support Project (P124109): Restructuring Paper (PDF) (Report). World Bank. 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
  13. ↑ "Sh5.9bn upgrade plan for Moi Airport". Business Daily Africa. 5 November 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
  14. ↑ "748 Air Services resumes JK 748 Air Services to resume scheduled passenger flight operations". Citizen Digital. 2 April 2026. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ADD". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 26 (11). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 17–19. May 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  16. ↑ "Dubai, United Arab Emirates DXB". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 26 (11). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 337–343. May 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  17. ↑ "flydubai Schedules Jan 2024 Mombasa Launch". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  18. ↑ "Kenya Airports Authority (@KenyaAirports) on X". 5 December 2025.
  19. ↑ "JamboJet Schedules Mombasa – Zanzibar July 2024 Launch". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  20. ↑ "Nairobi, Kenya NBO". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 26 (11). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 776–778. May 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  21. ↑ Liu, Jim (25 March 2025). "Kenya Airways NS25 International Service Changes – 23MAR25". Aeroroutes.com. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  22. ↑ "Rome". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 25 (5). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 894–899. November 2023. ISSN 1466-8718.
  23. ↑ "Rwandair Adds Zanzibar Service From Dec 2025". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  24. ↑ "Skyward Express launches Nairobi to Dar es Salaam flight".
  25. ↑ "Exim/Fischer bude létat do Mexika(Puerto Vallarta) a nabídne Business Class - 16APR". 16 April 2024.
  26. ↑ "green light for tui mombasa charter". Tourismupdate. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  27. ↑ "Turkish Airlines Tentatively Plans Mombasa Service Resumption in NW25". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  28. ↑ "Israel evacuates tourists from Kenya". 29 November 2002.
  29. ↑ "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 757-3E7 4X-BAW Mombasa-Moi International Airport (MBA)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
[edit]

Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Moi International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

4°02′24″S 39°35′24″E / 4.040000°S 39.59000°E / -4.040000; 39.59000

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moi_International_Airport&oldid=1373318394"