🏪 Commercial Platform
Business Opportunities
at Kenya's Airports
Kenya's airports welcome millions of passengers annually — an affluent, international, and captive audience. Bring your business inside the gateway to East Africa.
The opportunity
Why operate at Kenya's airports?
Airport commercial space is not ordinary retail or hospitality space. It gives operators access to a captive, time-rich audience of international travellers — an audience that is consistently higher-spending, more internationally diverse, and more experientially motivated than typical high-street footfall.
JKIA alone serves as East Africa's primary international hub — the port of first impression for investors, tourists, and business travellers arriving in Kenya. Operating within KAA airports puts your brand at Kenya's global front door, in front of an audience that the high street simply cannot replicate.
International audience
The majority of JKIA passengers are international — arriving from or departing to destinations across six continents, with high disposable incomes and dwell time in the terminal.
Captive dwell time
International passengers typically arrive 3 hours before departure and spend between 90 minutes and 2 hours in the departure lounge — a commercial window the high street cannot offer.
Growing network
Kenya's aviation market is growing. New routes, a major JKIA expansion programme, and increasing inbound tourism create a rising-volume commercial environment across all airports.
Audience at a glance
Audience data based on available network statistics. Airport-specific audience data available to prospective operators on request from the commercial team.
Category 01
Retail & Food & Beverage
Retail and food & beverage concessions are the core of KAA's commercial portfolio. From duty-free and luxury fashion to coffee shops, full-service restaurants, and specialty food concepts — our airports have spaces across multiple categories and price points.
Retail · JKIA
Luxury Fashion & Accessories — International Departures, T1A
Premium retail unit in the newly expanded international departures precinct at Terminal 1A. Situated post-security in the main departures corridor, this unit benefits from maximum dwell-time footfall from international outbound passengers. Ideal for luxury fashion, accessories, or branded lifestyle retail.
Food & Beverage · JKIA
Full-Service Restaurant — International Arrivals Hall
Development and management opportunity for a full-service restaurant and bar in the international arrivals hall at JKIA. This position serves arriving passengers, meeters and greeters, and airport workers — providing a longer operating window than departures-only units.
Food & Beverage · Eldoret
Coffee Shop Development — Eldoret International Airport
KAA seeks a development and management partner to establish and operate a branded coffee shop concept at Eldoret International Airport. Eldoret serves a growing passenger base including significant business traveller and cargo-sector traffic from the North Rift Valley.
Food & Beverage · Eldoret
Garden Restaurant — Eldoret International Airport
Development and management opportunity for an outdoor garden restaurant concept at Eldoret International Airport, capitalizing on the airport's highland setting. This is a differentiated concept opportunity suited to a full-service dining operator.
Retail · Mombasa
Coastal Crafts & Gifts Retail Unit — MIA Departures
Retail unit in the international departures area of Moi International Airport specialising in Kenyan coastal crafts, art, and gifts. MIA's departures serve significant leisure traffic including European beach tourists and regional business travellers.
Food & Beverage · Wilson
Branded Restaurant — Wilson Airport, Nairobi
Development and management opportunity for a branded restaurant at Wilson Airport — Nairobi's general aviation hub. Wilson serves a high-value clientele of safari charter operators, light aircraft pilots, corporate aviation users, and domestic passengers.
Not seeing what you're looking for? Our commercial team manages a larger pipeline of unlisted opportunities.
Contact commercial team →Category 02
Advertising Media
KAA airports offer premium out-of-home advertising inventory reaching a captive, affluent, and internationally diverse audience. From digital screens to large-format installations and experiential branded spaces — reach your audience at the moment of travel.
Audience data
Reach a premium,
internationally diverse audience
KAA's advertising inventory gives brands access to one of East Africa's most valuable audiences — international business travellers, affluent leisure tourists, and the Kenyan diaspora — all in a high-dwell-time environment.
Airport advertising is proven globally to drive brand recall, purchase intent, and brand association with quality and aspiration. At JKIA — East Africa's busiest hub — your brand message reaches travellers from 40+ countries and 6 continents in a single day.
Advertising format catalogue
Digital Screens — Departure Lounge
High-resolution digital displays positioned throughout the international departure lounge at JKIA. Full-motion video and static creative. Premium dwell-time placement.
Large Format — Check-in Hall
Supersized static and digital format placements in the main check-in hall — the first commercial impression for departing passengers arriving at the terminal.
Arrivals Channel — Baggage Reclaim
Digital and static placements in the baggage reclaim zone — capturing arriving passengers during an extended wait period with high attention levels.
Retail Environment — Duty-Free Zone
Point-of-decision advertising placements within and adjacent to the duty-free shopping precinct. Reach passengers at peak purchase-intent moments.
Experiential & Branded Spaces
Sponsored or branded spaces within the terminal — from branded charging stations to branded seating areas and digital interactive installations. Custom concepts welcome.
Digital Wayfinding Integration
Brand integration within KAA's digital wayfinding and information screens — reaching passengers at orientation moments with contextually relevant brand messages.
Ready to advertise at Kenya's airports?
Our commercial team will prepare a bespoke media proposal including available inventory, audience data, and rate information. We respond within 2 business days.
Category 03
Office & Corporate Space
KAA provides office and corporate space within or immediately adjacent to airport terminals for airlines, aviation service companies, freight forwarders, car hire companies, and professional services firms requiring airport-co-located operations.
Available office categories
Airline commercial offices
Landside office suites for airline commercial, reservations, and customer service teams. Available at JKIA and MIA.
Ground handler operations offices
Operational office space for ground handling companies requiring airside or landside management facilities.
Cargo and freight forwarder offices
Office space within the JKIA cargo zone for freight forwarders, customs agents, and logistics companies.
Professional services & other corporate
Offices for government agencies, insurance companies, legal firms, and other organizations requiring airport-based operations.
Lease terms overview
Enquire about office space
Availability, specifications, and rates are provided directly by the commercial team. Contact us with your requirements.
Category 04 · Development Opportunity
CIP & Premium Facilities
Major development opportunity
Premium CIP Terminal — JKIA T1A Expansion Zone
KAA seeks an investor-developer-operator to design, build, and operate a premium Commercially Important Persons (CIP) terminal facility within the JKIA Terminal 1A expansion. This is a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) or concession model opportunity suited to established airport lounge operators, premium hospitality groups, or aviation service investors.
The CIP terminal will serve business and first-class passengers, diplomats, high-net-worth individuals, and premium corporate clients — a fast-growing segment at JKIA as the airport's international route network expands.
Development model
The preferred model is BOT — the operator invests in the design and construction of the CIP facility, operates it under a fixed-term concession, and pays KAA a concession fee from revenues. At the end of the concession term, the facility reverts to KAA.
Target market
Business and first-class passengers; diplomats and government officials; high-net-worth individuals; premium corporate accounts; international delegates attending Nairobi's growing conference and MICE market. A growing and underserved segment at JKIA.
What KAA seeks
An operator with demonstrated experience in premium airport lounge or hospitality management, financial capacity to deliver the capital investment, and a concept brief that reflects the quality standard KAA requires for this flagship facility.
CIP Terminal — Moi International Airport, Mombasa
A second CIP development opportunity at Moi International Airport, serving Mombasa's leisure and business passenger market. MIA's CIP facility will target the airport's significant European leisure traffic, regional business travellers, and Mombasa's high-net-worth residential community.
Category 05
Automotive & Parking Services
KAA manages parking facilities at its major airports and operates concessions for automotive services including car wash, valet, and car hire operations.
Automotive · JKIA
Car Wash & Valet Service — JKIA Long-Stay Parking
Development and management opportunity for a car wash and valet service serving JKIA's long-stay parking users — passengers leaving vehicles for extended periods who represent a strong captive market for this service.
Parking Management · Kisumu
Parking Management System — Kisumu International
KAA seeks a technology and operations partner to install and manage an automated parking management system at Kisumu International Airport, including barrier systems, payment infrastructure, and operational management.
Automotive · MIA
Parking Management — Moi International Airport
Automated parking management system and operations at Moi International Airport, Mombasa. The concession includes barrier installation, ticketing systems, payment infrastructure, and parking operations management.
Process
How the concession model works
KAA's commercial model is designed to attract serious business operators and create sustainable, long-term commercial relationships. Here is how the process works from initial interest to operating concession.
Discover an opportunity
Browse the commercial opportunities listed on this page. Opportunities are also published as formal tenders on the Procurement portal for categories where competitive tender is required. New opportunities are added as they become available.
Submit an expression of interest
Use the enquiry form on this page or the contact form for each opportunity to submit an initial expression of interest. Provide a brief description of your business, relevant experience, and the specific opportunity you are interested in. Our commercial team responds within 2 business days.
Formal tender or invitation
Depending on the opportunity, KAA will either invite shortlisted applicants to submit a formal tender (including a business concept, financial proposal, and development plan) or issue a public competitive tender. All formal processes comply with the Public Procurement and Disposal Act.
Evaluation and award
KAA evaluates proposals on a defined set of criteria including the quality of the business concept, financial viability, investment commitment, operational experience, and proposed concession fee. Successful applicants receive a Letter of Award and proceed to contract negotiation.
Contract and onboarding
A formal concession agreement is executed between KAA and the operator, specifying the space, term, concession fee, investment obligations, operating standards, and reporting requirements. KAA's commercial team supports onboarding including access rights, fit-out approvals, and staff accreditation.
Ongoing relationship
KAA manages the relationship with all concessionaires through a dedicated account management function. Concession fees are paid monthly. Performance reviews are conducted regularly. Renewal discussions begin 12 months before the end of the concession term.
Frequently asked questions
Commercial information pack
Download the KAA commercial guide covering the concession model, evaluation criteria, application process, and KAA's commercial standards.
Get in touch
Contact the commercial team
Our commercial team responds to all enquiries within 2 business days. Whether you have a specific opportunity in mind or want to discuss your requirements more broadly, we welcome the conversation.
Phone
+254 20 827 5100
Monday–Friday, 08:00–17:00 EAT
commercial@kaa.go.ke
Response within 2 business days
Head Office
KAA Headquarters
JKIA, Airport North Road, Nairobi, Kenya
For major investment enquiries
For PPP, infrastructure investment, and major development enquiries (including CIP facilities and the JKIA expansion programme), please visit our dedicated Investment & PPP section.
Investment & PPP →Submit a commercial enquiry
Tell us about your business and the opportunity you are interested in. We respond within 2 business days.