🇰🇪 Ukunda Airstrip

Ukunda Airport (IATA: UKA, ICAO: HKUK) is a public airport located near Diani Beach in Kwale County, Kenya. It serves the local areas of Diani, Ukunda, Tiwi, and Msambweni, and is unofficially known as Diani Airport.

• Type: Public airport, owned by the Kenya Airports Authority.
• Location: Kwale County, Kenya, at coordinates -4.2933, 39.5711 (04°17′49″S 39°34′17″E). It is approximately 6 km southeast of Ukunda town.
• Runways: One runway, designated 01/19, with a tarmac surface. The runway length is 1,174 meters (3,851 feet) or 3,806 feet.
• Elevation: 98 feet (30 meters) above mean sea level.
• Known Uses & History:
• Originally a small airstrip for private aviation and early tourists in the 1970s.
• Underwent a significant modernization and expansion project in 2014, which lengthened and strengthened the runway to accommodate larger aircraft like the Bombardier Dash 8 and Embraer. A new passenger terminal was also built.
• In 2013, it began operating Air Kenya services to and from Nairobi's Wilson Airport.
• The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority commissioned a mobile airport control tower for the airstrip in January 2019.
• The Kenya Airports Authority intends to further extend the runway to allow access for even larger aircraft, with plans to offer flights to Zanzibar, Arusha, and Dar es Salaam.
• It plays a vital role in Kenya's tourism infrastructure, serving as a gateway for travelers to Diani Beach.
• Services: Operates daily flights from Nairobi Wilson (WIL) and Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (NBO), and flights to Masai Mara, Moi International Airport Mombasa (MBA), and Kilifi. Fuel (AVGAS only) is available.

*Sources researched: metar-taf.com, skybrary.aero, en.wikipedia.org, kupi.com, acukwik.com*