Isiolo International Airport to Begin Operations in Two Weeks

The Transport Principal Secretary of Kenya has announced that the Isiolo International Airport will start operations in two weeks.

Isiolo town, located 285 kilometers north of Nairobi, is a crucial and strategic gateway between Northern and Southern Kenya especially after the implementation of the Lamu Port, South Sudan, and Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor project.

The 2.7 billion shillings facility will handle up to 350,000 passengers only from domestic flights. According to the management, international flights will be launched later in the future.

The airport, which sits on a 260-hectare parcel of land, is one of the key Vision 2030 flagship projects in Isiolo County in addition to the Isiolo Resort City project, both of which are expected to unlock the economic potential of the region.

Isiolo is also one of the major towns set to benefit from the LAPSSET corridor project. Still, in the same region, the LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority (LCDA) has directed the Isiolo County Government to set aside 10,000 acres at Kula Mawe for the development of the Isiolo Resort City.

Economy analysts from the real estate company, Cytonn Investments, say that they expect the region to witness an increase in real estate development and tourism in Isiolo County driven by the improved infrastructure.

Being a semi-arid region, Isiolo County has for a long time been considered as an economic dormant region with very few economic activities going on in the area. With the completion of the international airport and with the LAPSET project on the way, the region is set to witness a rebound in the economy.

The opening of the Isiolo International Airport comes just less than a month after President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the much talked about Standard Gauge Railway, starting train journeys from Mombasa to Nairobi and vice versa with the minimum fair for passengers being at 700 shillings.