Nairobi — The government plans to modernize and expand Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as it seeks to make it competitive regionally.

Caleb Kositany, Chairman of the Kenya Airport Authority (KAA), said that the new facility will reduce congestion at Kenya's main port of entry and exit.

Kositany said that the facility will reinforce JKIA's status as Africa's premier hub and gateway into East and Central Africa.

The KAA Chair spoke on Sunday when he presided over Togolese passenger airline Asky Airlines inaugural flight from Lome-Nairobi as the company expanded its presence in East Africa.

The airline will be flying four times a week between the two nations.

Its expansion to Kenya now provides travelers with connecting flights to Abidjan, Abuja, Accra, Bamako, Bangui, Bissau, and Beirut.

Others are Brazzaville, Conakry, Cotonou, Dakar, Douala, Freetown, Kinshasa, Lagos, Libreville, Monrovia, N'Djamena, Niamey, Ouagadougou, Pointe Noire, & Yaounde.

JKIA, which was constructed in 1978, is Kenya's crucial airport and is home to Kenya Airways and Jambojet, among other airlines.

It handles over 5 million passengers annually. Initially, it was meant to accommodate 2 million travelers per year.