A Chinese construction firm has won a multi-million-dollar contract to expand an international airport in Kenya, officials said in Nairobi on Wednesday.

China Wuyi Company Limited won a 2.6 billion Kenyan shillings (US$36.7 million) project to expand the current facilities at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), including a terminal and a parking area.

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director George Muhoho told a news conference in Nairobi that the exercise would see the airport transformed into an internationally recognized aviation hub.

Muhoho said the project, which is expected to commence next month, would enable the airport to achieve international status to be able to accommodate large aircrafts and make long range travels.

"Construction of works are to commence in September 2006 for a duration of 10 months -- i.e. to be completed by end of June next year," said Muhoho.

"As a way of raising efficiency at JKIA, the project hopes to reduce transfer times from international to domestic flights through a fast and reliable connection in the form of a road between both airports," he said.

According to Muhoho, the airport is set to have a new parking lot to accommodate 1,500 cars, construction of taxiways, extended fuel hydrant system, airfield lighting, apron flood lights while the parking stands will be increased to accommodate 43 aircrafts from the current 23.

He said this would enable the airport to accommodate long distance aircraft that will have multiplier effect on solving the current problem, in which passengers have to detour when traveling to either the United States or Australia.

Muhoho said the airport's runway is sufficient to accommodate over 80,000 landings and take-offs a year but its currently number is only 60,000.

Once completed, Muhoho said the passenger handling capacity at the east African nation's main airport will be increased to 9 million passengers per annum.

(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2006)