Moi International Airport
Encyclopedia
Moi International Airport , also Mombasa International Airport, or Mombasa Airport, is an airport in Kenya
.
, Coast Province
, in the city of Mombasa
, in a township called Port Reitz
, in southeastern Kenya, along the Indian Ocean
coast.
Its location lies approximately 425 kilometres (264.1 mi), by air, southeast of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
, the largest and busiest airport in the country. The geographic coordinates of this airport are:4° 2' 24.00"S, 39° 35' 24.00"E (Latitude:-4.0400; Longitude:39.5900).
and surrounding communities. It is the second-largest and second-busiest airport in Kenya
, behind Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
located in the capital city
of Nairobi
. Mombasa Airport is operated by Kenya Airports Authority
. The airport was named after former Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi
during his tenure.
Situated at 61 metres (200.1 ft) above sea level, the airport has two runways: (a) Runway 1 measures 3350 metres (10,990.8 ft) in length and (b) Runway 2 measures 1260 metres (4,133.9 ft) in length. Runway 1 is also known as Runway 03/21, while Runway 2 is also known as Runway 15/33. Runway 1 is equipped with an ILS
(Instrument Landing System).
of the South African Army
. During that 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 RAF which operated anti-submarine Catalina
flying boat
s off the East Africa coast and by the South African Air Force
which was engaged in the war against Italy
in Abbysinia
. The airport was originally known as Port Reitz Airport.
Mombasa Airport was expanded to an international airport
in 1979. Aircraft Maintenance
facilities for private and light to medium sized commercial aircraft are provided from government and private hangars by Benair Aircraft Engineering, licenced by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority
(KCAA
) as an approved maintenance organisation (AMO
).
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.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
Location
Mombasa Airport, , is located in Mombasa DistrictMombasa District
Mombasa District is one of the 71 districts of Kenya. Its capital and the only town is Mombasa.Kenya is divided into eight provinces, which are subdivided into 71 districts. In Coast Province there are seven districts, Mombasa District being one of them. It is situated in the southeast of Coast...
, Coast Province
Coast Province
Coast Province of Kenya, along the Indian Ocean, is one of Kenya's seven administrative provinces outside Nairobi. It comprises the Indian Ocean coastal strip with the capital city at Mombasa and is inhabited by the Mijikenda and Swahili, among others...
, in the city of Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
, in a township called Port Reitz
Port Reitz
Port Reitz is a district of Mombasa, Kenya, and is located north-west of the island.- Mombasa Airport :Port Reitz is the location of Moi International Airport, the second largest airport in Kenya. The dual-runway airport was originally named Port Reitz Airport.- Port Reitz Hospital :At the end of...
, in southeastern Kenya, along the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
coast.
Its location lies approximately 425 kilometres (264.1 mi), by air, southeast of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
-Charter airlines:-Cargo airlines:-Other facilities:The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has its head office in the KAA Complex on the airport property. African Express Airways has its head office on the airport property...
, the largest and busiest airport in the country. The geographic coordinates of this airport are:4° 2' 24.00"S, 39° 35' 24.00"E (Latitude:-4.0400; Longitude:39.5900).
Overview
Moi International Airport serves the city of MombasaMombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
and surrounding communities. It is the second-largest and second-busiest airport in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, behind Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
-Charter airlines:-Cargo airlines:-Other facilities:The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has its head office in the KAA Complex on the airport property. African Express Airways has its head office on the airport property...
located in the capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
. Mombasa Airport is operated by Kenya Airports Authority
Kenya Airports Authority
Kenya Airports Authority is the owner and operator of nine civilian airports and airstrips in Kenya. Kenya Airports Authority was established by an act of Parliament in 1992, by the ruling Kenya African National Union government. The KAA Act, Cap 395, provides for the powers and functions of the...
. The airport was named after former Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi
Daniel arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002.Daniel arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'...
during his tenure.
Situated at 61 metres (200.1 ft) above sea level, the airport has two runways: (a) Runway 1 measures 3350 metres (10,990.8 ft) in length and (b) Runway 2 measures 1260 metres (4,133.9 ft) in length. Runway 1 is also known as Runway 03/21, while Runway 2 is also known as Runway 15/33. Runway 1 is equipped with an ILS
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
(Instrument Landing System).
History
The airport was built during the Second World War by the Engineer CorpsSapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
of the South African Army
South African Army
The South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910.The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by commando forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies...
. During that war it was used by the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
as a land base of the British Eastern Fleet
British Eastern Fleet
The British Eastern Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed from 1941 to 1971...
which was based at nearby Kilindini Harbour
Kilindini Harbour
Kilindini Harbour is a large, natural deep-water inlet extending inland from Mombasa, Kenya. It is 25-30 fathoms at its deepest center. It serves as the harbour for Mombasa, with a hinterland extending to Uganda and Sudan. Kilindini Harbour is the main part of the Port of Mombasa, the only...
from 1942, by the RAF which operated anti-submarine Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s off the East Africa coast and by the South African Air Force
South African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
which was engaged in the war against Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in Abbysinia
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire also known as Abyssinia, covered a geographical area that the present-day northern half of Ethiopia and Eritrea covers, and included in its peripheries Zeila, Djibouti, Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia...
. The airport was originally known as Port Reitz Airport.
Mombasa Airport was expanded to an international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
in 1979. Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is the overhaul, repair, inspection or modification of an aircraft or aircraft component.Maintenance includes the installation or removal of a component from an aircraft or aircraft subassembly, but does not include:...
facilities for private and light to medium sized commercial aircraft are provided from government and private hangars by Benair Aircraft Engineering, licenced by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority is a state corporation of Kenya that is responsible for regulating the aviation industry in Kenya and for providing air navigation services in the Kenya flight region....
(KCAA
KCAA
KCAA is a commercial radio station located in Loma Linda, California, broadcasting to the Riverside-San Bernardino, California, area on 1050 AM with studios located in the Carousel Mall in San Bernardino, CA. KCAA airs news, talk, music and brokered programming.KCAA's most popular program was Imus...
) as an approved maintenance organisation (AMO
AMO
-Places:*Amo, Brunei, a province in Temburong District*Amo, Indiana, United States, a town in Hendricks County*Amo Township, Cottonwood County, Minnesota-People known by the single name:*Adam Morrison or Amo , American professional basketball player...
).
From July to September 1994, Moi International Airport was used almost continuously as a refueling station during the Operation Support Hope
Operation Support Hope
Operation Support Hope was a 1994 United States military effort to provide immediate relief for the refugees of the Rwandan Genocide and allow a smooth transition to a full United Nations humanitarian management program...
humanitarian mission into Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
. Empty C-141 and C-5
C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
freighter jets returning to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
flew to Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
due to the scarcity of fuel in the African interior. The airlift through Mombasa ceased by October due to runway expansion work.
Airlines and destinations
External links
- Location of Moi International Airport At Google Maps
- Kenya Airports Authority - Moi International Airport - Mombasa Airport
See also
- MombasaMombasaMombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
- Mombasa DistrictMombasa DistrictMombasa District is one of the 71 districts of Kenya. Its capital and the only town is Mombasa.Kenya is divided into eight provinces, which are subdivided into 71 districts. In Coast Province there are seven districts, Mombasa District being one of them. It is situated in the southeast of Coast...
- Coast ProvinceCoast ProvinceCoast Province of Kenya, along the Indian Ocean, is one of Kenya's seven administrative provinces outside Nairobi. It comprises the Indian Ocean coastal strip with the capital city at Mombasa and is inhabited by the Mijikenda and Swahili, among others...
- List of airports in Kenya