Junk aeroplane crisis hits Wilson Airport operations
Wilson Airport in Nairobi is facing a severe congestion crisis due to over 90 abandoned aircraft occupying parking space. The Kenya Airports Authority is struggling to auction these grounded planes, which is resulting in lost revenue and operational flight diversions.
Why it matters
The accumulation of derelict aircraft poses significant safety and financial risks to a critical piece of regional aviation infrastructure.
At least 90 planes belonging to private aviation companies, flying schools and individuals have been abandoned at Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, choking available parking space for operational aircraft and costing the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) revenue.
An audit of the country’s second-busiest airport by aircraft movements found that the abandoned aircraft have caused congestion, forcing flight diversions.
It is unlikely that any of the planes will fly again, and KAA has struggled to auction the aircraft in recent years as they accumulate significant parking fees.
The light planes include Cessna 402, Fokker 50, Beechcraft Baron 58, and slightly larger passenger planes such as Bombardier CRJ100s and Dash-8s.
Some are clustered while others sit alone as they increasingly take up space at Wilson Airport, underlining the growing troubles at the facility.
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