Assessment of the Appropriateness and Adequacy of the Existing Physical Infrastructure in Mitigating Aviation Risks at Wilson Airport, Kenya

Abstract

The aviation sector is one of the most important sectors for any country especially its ability to promote interconnectedness within countries as well as between countries. However, the sector faces many risks caused by various emergencies and accidents associated with the sector, and much so in the precincts of airports. The impact of these accidents causes monumental social, economic and environmental consequences to victims. The exponential growth of the sector in the country calls for special attention by relevant stakeholders to devise strategies to address disaster preparedness issues. This is especially due to the fact that the country has already experienced a number of aviation disasters and mishaps related to the industry. Consequently, this study sought to assess the appropriateness and adequacy of the existing physical infrastructure in mitigating aviation risks in the airport. This study was carried out at Wilson airport located in Nairobi West. The qualitative design was applied in this study to analyze and describe the effects of land use changes on airport and flight safety in a rapidly growing aviation sector. The target population for the study comprised of 50 aviation regulators, 50 air operators, 100 service providers and communities living around the Airport. Primary data was collected by use of questionnaires, interview guide and Focused Group Discussions while Secondary data were collected from written or published records and maps from the Kenya National Bureau of statistics. Quantitative data was analysed by use of descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages while qualitative data was analysed using content analysis. The study found that 62% of the respondents indicated that Wilson Airport does not have the capacity in terms of space and facilities and that 75% of the respondents indicated Air field capacity was inadequate. The study also found that 63.2% of the respondents indicated thatAirport Visual Aids (such as pavement markings) were inadequate, 57.9% of the respondents indicated Airport Lighting was inadequate, 40.4% of the respondents indicated that runway orientation, length, width, and pavement strength were inadequate and 30 (56%) indicated that taxi ways were inadequate. The results for correlation analysis showed that there is a positive correlation between the disaster preparedness and appropriateness and adequacy of the existing infrastructure with a Pearson‟s Correlation Coefficient of r = 0.769 and a level of significance of 0.000 meaning that is it statistically significant.