Who was the Wilson airport named after? Wilson Airport is situated about 2 km southwest of the intersection of Mombasa Road and to the south of Nairobi, just next to Langata Road. This side of the airport is mainly known for the Uhuru Monument, which commemorates the location of Kenya’s independence. Established in Dagoretti in 1927, the company moved to its present site in 1928.Wilson Airport replaced its original name, Nairobi Aerodrome, in honour of Ms. Florence Wilson, a female pioneer and founding member.
When it comes to aircraft movement, Wilson Airport is among the busiest in East and Central Africa. About 10% of all flights at the Wilson airport are international while the other 90% are all domestic flights. The Airport serves as a quick and easy entry point from Nairobi into the enchanted interior regions of Kenya. The airport serves the following destinations: Mombasa, Kilimanjaro Diani, Nanyuki, Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Lamu, and Lokichogio. Additionally, it serves as East and Central Africa’s contemporary general aviation hub.
Location of Wilson Airport
Nairobi is the capital and largest metropolitan area of Kenya, it is home to Wilson Airport, which is located in Nairobi County. By road, it is located about 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) south of the core business district. The nearby suburbs are Langata, South C, and Kibera. The main civilian airport in Kenya is the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport which is located about 18 kilometres (11 mi) to the west of Wilson Airport.
Wilson airport handles both domestic and international traffic. The majority of traffic are usually general aviation. Wilson Airport is heavily used by the travel, healthcare, and agricultural industries. Every year, Wilson Airport handles about 120,000 landings and takes offs. Wilson Airport replaces Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for scheduled domestic passenger services operated by Airkenya and other local carriers. Wilson Airport serves as the station for missionary aviation operators such as AMREF, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), and AIM AIR in Africa. It is also employed in flight training. Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) is in charge of overseeing the airport.
Florence Wilson
Florence Kerr Wilson OBE (1879–September 1966) had a significant impact on the history of aviation in East Africa. She founded and oversaw Wilson Airways Ltd., which operated out of Nairobi airfields from 1929 until the airline was taken over by the Kenyan military at the outbreak of World War II. In 1933, she was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (civil division) in recognition of her services to civil aviation. She died on September 29, 1966, at home in Kenya. Wilson Airport in Nairobi was named after her in 1962.
Florence Kerr Fernie was born in Blundellsands, near Liverpool, England, in 1879. Her family owned luxurious ships. In 1902, she married Major William Herbert Wilson (1866–1928) of the British Army. Following World War I, the couple relocated to Kenya and began farming there. Major Wilson passed away in 1928. Early in 1929 Florence Kerr Wilson had to travel to the UK on business, so instead of taking a long sea voyage, she arranged to fly there with pilot Tom Campbell Black and flight engineer Archie Watkins. In July 1929, she gave fifty thousand British pounds to start Wilson Airways, which was flown by Black and Watkins in a newly purchased Gipsy Moth. By 1930, Wilson had obtained her pilot’s licence and completed her survey flights. Wilson Airways connected to Imperial Airways’ transcontinental flights and started scheduled passenger and postal service in Kenya in addition to running a thriving charter business. By 1938, the airline was flying thirteen aircraft.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
The best hub in Africa and the best place to enter and exit East and Central Africa is the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Airport JKIA is The KAA’s flagship. More than forty passenger airlines and twenty-five freight carriers operate out of the airport. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, previously known as Embakasi Airport and Nairobi International Airport is the largest airport in Kenya and the busiest in East Africa. It sets the bar high for other airports in the area due to its significance as an aviation centre.
Check-in at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Check-in desks are easily identifiable in departure halls. Passengers can be assisted by ground personnel from the airline and KAA as they board and proceed to the immigration counters. In order to facilitate self-check-in, the Kenya Airports Authority has installed kiosks where travellers can print their boarding tickets. Currently, only customers on Kenya Airways, SAA, and KLM are eligible for this service.
At certain JKIA entry and exit locations, immigration has set up a passport control station to make sure that travellers’ travel documents are in order.
Customs at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
All incoming luggage may be weighed and examined by customs officials in addition to the standard security checks. As a result, arriving travellers must identify their luggage so that customs officials can examine it. When you arrive in Kenya, you must clear the following items; Things that you bought and are bringing back to Kenya. Things you acquired while travelling. Things you purchased above what was permitted in duty-free stores, aboard the ship, or on the aircraft. Any fixes or modifications made to any objects you brought back from a foreign country, even if they were done for free. Gifts and other items you brought home for someone else. Goods you plan to use or sell in your business, such as business supplies you brought with you from Kenya. When arriving at Customs, any currency worth more than $10,000 USD or its equivalent MUST be disclosed.
The passenger disclosure form requires you to list the exact cost of each item, expressed in US dollars. All taxes must be included in the pricing. If you are unsure, make an educated guess. If the item was a gift to you or something else you did not purchase yourself, estimate its reasonable retail worth in the nation where you acquired it. Recall that the thing you purchased on your trip is still obligated even if you utilized it. In case the item was a gift, you have to disclose its fair market value or the sum you paid for it.
Prohibited items
Fake or forged currency, lewd or explicit materials, illicit substances, and old tires for light-duty trucks.
