Diani Beach is a key tourism destination for Kenya

Tourism infrastructure on Kenya’s southern coast is set to receive a significant boost following the announcement of a planned expansion for the Ukunda aerodrome - also known as Diani Airport - by the Kenya Airport Authority.

The aerodrome is the primary airfield for tourists visiting the southern coast’s popular Diani Beach resort and a take-off point for air safaris to nearby national parks with direct flights to Kenya’s iconic Masaai Mara.

Daily scheduled services to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport by domestic flight operators also link the area to the capital in just over an hour.

Following lengthy advocation by key Diani tourism stakeholders over a period of several years, the KAA has now confirmed that an expansion will go ahead.

The work will focus on the construction of a new terminal building and the lengthening of the runway length from 1.1 kilometres to two kilometres.

This will allow the airport to accommodate smaller jets such as the CRJ200.

The new facilities are expected to give tourism in the area a significant boost, facilitating additional arrivals to Diani by air.

It is also likely that a scheduled service to Kenya’s main aviation gateway Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi will be launched allowing international visitors a direct connection to the coast when they land in Nairobi, avoiding a road transfer across Nairobi to Wilson Airport.