Travelers flying from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport are decrying what they term as a “chaotic” process of checking in, with long queues that are nearly making people miss their flights.

According to the complaints shared on social media “There’s a single entrance into the international departures terminal, a health check prior to entry, and hundreds of people in lines that barely move”.

Others also cited the inconvenience of connecting flights from the domestic to the international terminal, saying they were still forced to join the queues.

Below are some of the experiences shared;

“Just here to say that if you’re leaving Nairobi on an international flight, JKIA is a HOT MESS this month!!! There’s a single entrance into the international departures terminal,a health check prior to entry, and hundreds of people in lines that barely move. We usually go 3hrs before our flights, but yesterday my husband almost missed his flight despite having arrived 3hrs prior. I would give it at least 4hrs. This is the second time we’ve experienced chaos at that terminal this month, so I thought to give a heads up.” Peninah* (Not her real name) shared.

Martha*: It’s insane, went through it yesterday, gave myself 3 hrs, and barely made my flight. The way they are managing it is frankly embarrassing

Paul: I was there yesterday. It took around about 2 hours to enter the priority entrance. Even the gate of my apartment is bigger than that messy gate. People were pushing from every side. Rude security staff and unorganized protocol checks. Luckily I didn’t miss my flight to Amsterdam.

KAA Lengthens Check-In Time at JKIA

The Kenya Airports Authority on Tuesday directed passengers to arrive at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport at least three hours before their scheduled flight departure time and further urged travelers to try and check-in online where possible owing to COVID-19 travel restrictions. 

“KAA wishes to advise the traveling public, in particular, Intl. travelers to expect longer processing times & passenger queues during peak hours of 8-11 pm at JKIA’s departure Terminal 1A.

To complement these efforts, we kindly request passengers to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before their scheduled departure times and to take into consideration the extended travel times to the airport due to the ongoing construction of the Nairobi Express Way.” KAA said in a statement.

The reported congestion and longer processing time for international passengers especially at peak hours. Other than the intensified health screenings, the congestion has been accelerated by the closure of JKIA terminals 1B and 1C, which are under renovation.

According to KAA, the renovation is 70% complete, saying the project will improve the airport passenger experience.

Check the latest Covid-19 travel information HERE 

Article updated on January 20th..