The Kenyan government and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) signed a 154.2 billion Kenyan shilling ($1.2 billion) contract on June 23, 2026, to modernize Jomo Kenyatta International Airports (JKIA), a project expected to nearly triple the facility’s annual passenger capacity.

Announced in an official statement by the Kenya Ministry of Roads and Transport, the 36-month design and build contract replaces a previous agreement with India’s Adani Group that was cancelled in 2024. The modernization effort aims to secure Nairobi’s position as a primary East African aviation hub amid growing regional competition.

Scope and capacity upgrades

The expansion will increase the airport’s annual passenger capacity from its current 7.5 million to 22 million. According to reporting by Citizen Digital, the project will also enhance air traffic throughput, raising the expected arrival capacity from 25 to 31 aircraft per hour.

Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir outlined the physical improvements in a statement shared by Reuters. He noted the project scope includes the construction of a new terminal building and associated support facilities, the modernization and upgrading of existing infrastructure, and the improvement of airside and landside operations.

Procurement and financing structure

The procurement process followed the completion of a new JKIA Master Plan in February 2026. The Ministry of Roads and Transport reported that more than 40 companies participated in a pre-bid conference held in April 2026 to clarify project expectations.

The Kenyan state plans to finance the project through 100 billion shillings in borrowing alongside a 50 billion shilling equity injection. The government appointed the Trade and Development Bank and the Africa Finance Corporation to arrange the financing structure.

Prior to the official signing, Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir publicly addressed rumors regarding the bidding process. According to Biblia Husema Broadcasting, Chirchir denied unverified reports that IMC Construction Kenya had taken a stake in the project, clarifying that the company never submitted a bid. He also refuted media claims of a 375 billion shilling price tag, confirming the final 154.2 billion shilling cost.

Regional competition and the Adani cancellation

The contract with CRBC officially closes the chapter on Kenya’s previous arrangement with the Adani Group. The Kenyan government halted and subsequently cancelled that agreement in 2024 following the indictment of the company’s founder, Gautam Adani, in the United States.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) faces increasing pressure to modernize its primary facility. Neighboring countries, specifically Ethiopia and Rwanda, are investing heavily in new airport infrastructure designed to attract airlines and capture a larger share of transit passengers in the African market.

AirPro News analysis

We view the swift pivot to CRBC as a necessary maneuver for the Kenya Airports Authority to prevent further delays in JKIA’s modernization. With neighboring hubs aggressively expanding their transit capabilities, any prolonged stagnation at JKIA would directly threaten Kenya’s market share in East African air traffic. The involvement of established financial institutions like the Africa Finance Corporation suggests a structured approach to mitigating the funding risks that often accompany large-scale African infrastructure projects.

Sources: Kenya Ministry of Roads and Transport

Aviation services provider dnata has secured a contract to provide inflight catering for Air Macau (NX) flights departing from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), consolidating the catering operations for all four Air China Group carriers at the hub.

In a press release issued on June 18, 2026, dnata confirmed the agreement, which will see the company produce an estimated 54,000 meals annually for Air Macau’s business and economy class passengers. The addition of the Macau-based carrier means dnata now services the complete Air China Group portfolio at Changi Airport, joining Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, and Shandong Airlines.

Air China Group consolidation at Changi

The new contract builds on a 20-year relationship between dnata and Air China in Singapore. With Air Macau integrated into the operation, dnata will handle a combined 5,100 annual flights for the airline group out of the Southeast Asian hub.

This consolidated operation requires the production of approximately 580,000 meals per year for the four affiliated carriers.

“Welcoming Air Macau into our portfolio further strengthens our long-standing partnership with the Air China Group in Singapore. We support the group’s full network at Changi Airport, delivering more than half a million meals annually across its operations,” said Matthew Igo Ball, Managing Director of dnata Catering & Retail Singapore.

Operational scale and regional context

To support its airline customers, dnata operates a 23,000-square-meter catering facility at Changi Airport. The operation employs 500 staff members and produces roughly 6.5 million meals annually for more than 30 airlines.

Ball noted that the scale of the operation reflects the trust partners place in the team to deliver consistent inflight dining at pace, adding that the focus remains on operational excellence to meet international traveler expectations.

The catering agreement comes during a period of network adjustment for Air Macau. According to schedule data published by AeroRoutes, the carrier filed updates in late April 2026 indicating a 21 percent reduction in overall flights across its network for May and June 2026. Despite these broader capacity adjustments, the airline maintained its Singapore route, underscoring the strategic value of the Changi connection.

AirPro News analysis

We view dnata’s capture of the entire Air China Group portfolio at Changi Airport as a textbook example of vendor consolidation by major airline alliances and ownership groups. By utilizing a single catering provider for Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, Shandong Airlines, and Air Macau, the parent group likely achieves better pricing leverage and standardized service quality across its subsidiaries. For dnata, securing the final piece of the group’s Singapore operations insulates its contract against competitors and maximizes the utilization of its 23,000-square-meter facility.

Sources: dnata

The African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) reported new economic and connectivity milestones for the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) on June 16, 2026, projecting the initiative will contribute more than $75 billion to the continent’s gross domestic product.

The data, released during the African Air Transport Convention and Expo 2026 in Lomé, Togo, outlines the operational progress of the African Union’s flagship aviation liberalization program. According to the AFCAC press release, the unified market framework now supports 8.1 million jobs across the region.

Expanding the unified market

Since its formal launch in January 2018, SAATM has grown to include 38 member states. Of those nations, 26 have signed the Memorandum of Implementation, and 21 are actively participating in the SAATM Pilot Implementation Project.

This regulatory alignment has yielded a current connectivity rate of 23 percent across the continent. The framework currently highlights 124 specific routes and tracks the participation of 113 African Airlines. These combined operations have facilitated the movement of more than 3 million passengers under the liberalized market conditions.

Economic drivers and political commitments

The liberalization of African airspace is closely tied to broader economic and travel targets. Alongside the $75 billion gross domestic product contribution and 8.1 million supported jobs, the initiative recorded 81 million tourism-related travelers in 2025.

AFCAC Secretary General Adefunke Adeyemi highlighted the broader implications of the program.

“SAATM is not only transforming air connectivity, it is redefining how Africa moves, trades and grows together as one aviation market,” Adeyemi stated in the release.

To sustain this momentum, industry leaders and regulators are convening at the African Air Transport Convention and Expo from June 15 to June 19, 2026. The Lomé event is expected to produce a Ministerial Declaration designed to formalize further political commitments for accelerated implementation.

Technical oversight and compliance

The June milestones follow technical capacity-building efforts earlier in the year. In February 2026, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and AFCAC concluded a workshop in Nairobi, Kenya. That session focused on strengthening Key Performance Indicator audits and digitizing the monitoring systems required to enforce the Yamoussoukro Decision, the foundational 1999 treaty that paved the way for SAATM.

AirPro News analysis

We view the transition from the 38 signatory states to the 21 active participants in the Pilot Implementation Project as the most critical metric for SAATM’s success. For decades, the Yamoussoukro Decision suffered from a lack of enforcement and protectionist aviation policies by individual nations. The current tracking of 124 specific routes and 113 airlines indicates a shift from theoretical treaties to operational reality. If the Lomé Ministerial Declaration can secure binding commitments to remove remaining bilateral restrictions, the projected economic benefits will likely materialize at an accelerated pace.

Sources: African Civil Aviation Commission