Northern Kenya: Isiolo airport to become operational within weeks

Reports are emerging from Isiolo that following an inspection of the new facility by Kenya Airport Authority personnel, the new airport is due to open in a matter of weeks now.

A 1.4 kilometer-long paved runway can cater to a range of turbo-prop planes suitable to link the capital Nairobi with Isiolo, where increased air connectivity is thought to help stimulate both tourism and trade. The runway is due to be extended further when land acquisition and compensation for landowners has been completed, then allowing even small jets to use Isiolo Airport for operations.


The new passenger terminal, at the heart of the airport development, is capable of handling over 10.000 passengers a month, for now providing enough capacity to grow traffic on a rapid pace. The cost of the new airport, part of Kenya’s Vision 2030 projects, was given as nearly 27 million US Dollars.

Isiolo is set in a part of Kenya where several national parks and game reserves, but also private conservancies, offer tourists much to see, including the Samburu National Park, the Buffalo Springs Game Reserve, the Shaba Game Reserve and a number of conservancies under the Northern Rangeland Trust.

It is expected that at least one if not more airlines operating from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport will add Isiolo on their list of destinations for scheduled flights when the facility has been officially opened for traffic.