Nairobi Wilson International Airport
| Nairobi Wilson International | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Characteristics | |
| ICAO code | HKNW |
| IATA code | WIL |
| Coordinates | |
| Height above MSL | 1690 m (5545 ft ) |
| Transport links | |
| Distance from the city center | 6 km south of Nairobi |
| Basic data | |
| opening | 1929 |
| operator | Kenya Airports Authority |
| Flight movements |
120,000 |
| Runways | |
| 07/25 | 1462 m × 22 m asphalt |
| 14/32 | 1540 m × 23 m asphalt |
The Wilson Airport (briefly also: Wilson Airport ) is located about six kilometers south of the center of Kenya's capital Nairobi , and is located since 1929 in operation, originally under the name Nairobi West Aerodrome .
history
In 1928, the wealthy farmer's widow Florence Wilson and the British pilot Thomas Campbell Black founded the airline Wilson Airways at the current location of the airport (at that time simply a vacant space) , which was the first time that Nairobi was connected to the aviation industry in East Africa. Flight operations began with a single de Havilland DH.60 Moth . By the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the fleet had already grown to 17 aircraft and offered an ambulance aircraft and a flight school.
During the war, aircraft, facilities and personnel were drafted into the British Auxiliary Air Unit (later part of the Royal Air Force ) by the government , which meant the economic end of the airline. The airfield, however, was retained. After the war, other companies settled here and Wilson Airport became Kenya's most important airport. On January 24, 1962, a plaque was unveiled at Wilson Airport in honor of its founder, in the presence of the then Minister for Economy, Industry and Communications, Masinde Muliro.
Due to the rapid growth of the city of Nairobi, the airport is now in the city, and the increase in air traffic and the use of large passenger aircraft made it necessary to build a new airport outside of Nairobi in the late 1960s and 1970s. Wilson Airport now serves both domestic and international air traffic and is one of the busiest airports in Africa with around 120,000 take-offs and landings annually. In addition to the second airport in the city of Nairobi, Eastleigh Airport , which is now used exclusively by the military and the police, and the newest airport, Jomo Kenyatta International , which primarily serves scheduled services due to its modern facilities, Wilson Airport is the main airport for the general public Aviation .
The airport is mainly used by organizations in the tourism and agriculture sector, but church and humanitarian organizations, as well as smaller charter companies and several flight schools are also permanently stationed there. The historic Aero Club of East Africa is also located there, which also became internationally known through the authors Beryl Markham and Karen Blixen .
Special
A customs declaration must be submitted for all flights, with the exception of traffic patterns or local training flights without a stopover. It is also always necessary to submit a flight plan . The flying weather is good almost all year round. During the rainy season, large equatorial thunderclouds can form near the square , and for a few weeks there can be very dense clouds in places from the southwest. This can usually not be flown over by smaller aircraft. However, this is only of flying importance near the airport. In a southerly direction, the clouds usually stop immediately after reaching the Rift Valley . At the southern end of the Ngong Mountains (but not the Magadi side) you can leave the control zone in almost any weather condition.
During the dry season, the maximum daily temperatures almost always exceed 30 ° C, sometimes up to 50 ° C. The density height must therefore be taken into account at the start.
Incidents
- On October 11, 2019, a Fokker 50 from Silverstone Air Services ( aircraft registration number 5Y-IZO ) rolled over the end of the runway by 300 meters when taking off at Nairobi-Wilson airport and came to a standstill in marshy terrain between some trees. All 55 occupants, 5 crew members and 50 passengers survived the accident; 2 passengers were slightly injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
See also
The Kenyan airlines Airkenya , Bluebird Aviation , Silverstone Air Services and Skyward Express are based at Wilson Airport.
Web links
- Wilson Airport in Nairobi. February 6, 2019, Retrieved February 8, 2019 (American English).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Airport data on World Aero Data ( English, as of 2006 )
- ↑ Birth of Nairobi Wilson Airport , accessed January 17, 2014
- ^ Accident report Fokker 50 5Y-IZO , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on October 23, 2019.