Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), the busiest airport in East Africa, has been named Africa's leading airport at the 2024 World Travel Awards.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) praised the recognition, stating that it underscores their dedication to enhancing the passenger experience. "This victory highlights JKIA’s commitment to delivering top-tier service, boosting operational efficiency, and continuously improving passenger satisfaction," KAA said in a statement. "We’re grateful to our team for their hard work and thank our passengers and partners for their ongoing support."

JKIA beat out six other major airports across Africa, including Cape Town International Airport (South Africa), Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (Morocco), and Julius Nyerere International Airport (Tanzania). Other contenders were Kigali International Airport (Rwanda), King Shaka International Airport (Durban, South Africa), and O.R. Tambo International Airport (South Africa).


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Founded in 1993, the World Travel Awards honor excellence across all sectors of the travel and hospitality industries. The 2024 awards ceremony, held at Diamonds Leisure Beach & Golf Resort in Diani Beach on October 18, also saw Kenya Airways win three accolades: Africa’s Leading Airline 2024, Africa's Leading Airline-Business Class 2024, and Africa’s Leading Airline Brand 2024. Additionally, Nairobi was named Africa’s Leading Business Travel Destination, while Tanzania won the title of Africa’s Leading Destination.

This prestigious award comes as the Kenyan government faces controversy over a proposal to lease JKIA to Indian conglomerate Adani Airport Holdings for 30 years for renovations. Under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP), Adani is expected to invest Ksh.238 billion in upgrading the airport, which includes building a new passenger terminal, renovating existing ones, constructing a second runway, and improving cargo facilities.

However, the lack of transparency in the details surrounding the Adani-JKIA deal has led to public opposition, with several court cases filed to block the agreement. In response, the government has assured the public that no deal has been finalized yet. "For clarity, all terms and conditions of the proposed arrangement are still under negotiation in line with the PPP Act, and no final agreements have been reached," Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said last month.