Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has been named the African Cargo Airport of the Year at the STAT Times International Awards for Excellence in Air Cargo, recognizing its outstanding contributions to air freight services on the continent.
According to kenyans.co.ke, Through a statement, the Kenya Airports Authority revealed the win for the country’s largest airport terming it as a recognition for the airport’s role in improving trade and logistics across the continent.
“Big win for Kenya! Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has been crowned African Cargo Airport of the Year at the STAT Times International Awards for Excellence in Air Cargo!” KAA remarked.
“The recognition emphasized JKIA’s pivotal role in facilitating trade & logistics across Africa- highlighting the airport’s commitment to operational excellence & its continuous efforts to enhance cargo handling capabilities,” the Authority added.
The award was received by Dr. Rose Koros, General Manager at JKIA, accompanied by Jacob Bwana, Manager, Cargo, and Debra Ondaba, Manager of Product & Brand.
According to data from JKIA, the airport handled 112,000 tonnes of cargo in the first quarter of 2024. For context, the airport handled approximately 372,249 tonnes of cargo in the entirety of 2023.
In terms of contribution to the economy, cargo operations at JKIA accounted for seven per cent of total revenue gained by the national carrier, Kenya Airways, in 2023. That year, the airline reported a total revenue of Ksh178 billion, with cargo representing Ksh12.46 billion.
Consistently ranking as one of the busiest cargo airports in Africa, JKIA has surpassed other major African airports such as Cairo International Airport and O.R. Tambo International Airport in handling cargo volumes.
While JKIA leads on the continent, its cargo volumes are modest compared to the world’s busiest cargo airports. For instance, in 2023, Hong Kong International Airport handled over 4.3 million metric tonnes of cargo, significantly outpacing JKIA’s figures.
The latest award follows a previous award won by the airport in October 2024, where JKIA was ranked the best airport in Africa at the World Travel Awards.
In winning the award, JKIA triumphed over notable nominees in its category, including Cape Town Airport (South Africa), Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (Morocco), Julius Nyerere Airport (Tanzania), and Kigali Airport (Rwanda). Others that JKIA triumphed over are King Shaka Airport (South Africa) and Oliver Reginald Tambo Airport (South Africa).
Apart from bagging the accolade of Africa’s Leading Airport, Kenya was also crowned as having the continent’s Leading Airline in 2024, Africa’s Leading Airline-Business Class in 2024, and Africa’s Leading Airline Brand in 2024.
Nairobi City scooped Africa’s Leading Business Travel Destination in 2024, while Tanzania was crowned as Africa’s Leading Destination.
