Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) recorded a drop in passenger traffic in March, according to the latest figures from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), even as the government prepares to begin a major upgrade of the country’s busiest airport.
Data contained in the KNBS Leading Economic Indicators: March 2026 report shows that the number of international visitors arriving through JKIA fell from 141,582 in February to 123,682 in March.
The decline means nearly 18,000 fewer international travellers entered the country through the airport within a month.
The report also shows a broader slowdown in arrivals across the country. Visitors entering Kenya through JKIA, Moi International Airport and other border points dropped from 216,738 in February to 193,176 in March.
Passenger departures through JKIA also went down during the same period, falling from 242,679 in February to 231,598 in March.
Arrivals at the airport remained relatively stable but still recorded a slight decrease, dropping from 228,826 passengers in February to 227,974 in March.
The decline comes at a time when the government is planning one of the biggest upgrades ever undertaken at JKIA.
In the last couple of days, President William Ruto stated that the National Infrastructure Fund would be investing massively in JKIA by building new infrastructure and adding a runway.
He explained that the tender for the project had been issued and construction would start in June.
As opposed to air travel which saw slower traffic, the SGR offered a completely different story.
The SGR experienced an increase in passenger traffic from 185,278 passengers in February to 193,953 in March.
The earnings from passengers remained unchanged at about Sh347.7 million.
In terms of the older Metre Gauge Railway, there was also an increase in the number of passengers from 210,251 in February to 263,026 in March.
There was a small increase in earnings from Sh13.6 million to Sh13.9 million.
On the Coast, operations in the Port of Mombasa were on the upswing as well.
According to KNBS statistics, cargo handled through the port increased from 3.5 million metric tonnes in February to 4 million metric tonnes in March due to growth in imports, exports, and transshipment cargo.
Overall, according to the current statistics, although air transport witnessed a decrease in numbers, railway and maritime transport saw some growth.