Airport guide
Wilson AirportIATA code WIL
Wilson Airport (WIL/HKNW) is the primary air passenger gateway serving Nairobi, Kenya in Africa. The airfield connects travelers with essential regional transit routes and operating carrier options.
- Serves
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Codes
- WIL · HKNW
- IATA · ICAO
- Time zone
- Africa/Nairobi
- Region
- Africa
Wilson Airport (WIL/HKNW) is the primary air passenger gateway serving Nairobi, Kenya in Africa. Operating on Africa/Nairobi local time at coordinates -1.320°, 36.810°, the airfield functions as an active commercial transit hub for scheduled regional and international flights. Travelers navigating Wilson Airport (WIL) are encouraged to confirm terminal layouts, ground transport connections into Nairobi, and flight schedules with their operating carrier prior to travel.
Wilson Airport details
- IATA code
- WIL
- ICAO code
- HKNW
- City
- Nairobi
- Country
- Kenya
- Region
- Africa
- Time zone
- Africa/Nairobi
- Coordinates
- -1.322°, 36.815°
- From OurAirports
Codes, region and time zone come from the Originfacts airport record (last updated 10 Jul 2026). Fields marked otherwise come from the dataset named on them. None are verified by hand against Wilson Airport’s own pages.
WIL airport facts
- Size class
- Medium airport
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026); OurAirports’ own classification
- Elevation
- 1,687 m (5,536 ft)
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026)
- Passengers, 2019
- 854,000
- Per Wikidata (opens in a new tab) (retrieved 5 Oct 2026), citing knbs.or.ke (opens in a new tab)
- Nearest airport with scheduled flights
- Jomo Kenyatta International Airport NBO · 13 km
- OurAirports scheduled-service flag; straight-line distance calculated
Runways at WIL
Source: OurAirports (opens in a new tab) runways data (public domain), retrieved 5 Oct 2026. Not an aeronautical source — not for navigation.
2 open runways, 1 lit. Longest 14/32: 1,540 m, asphalt.
| Runway | Length | Width | Surface | Lighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14/32 | 1,540 m5,052 ft | 23 m | asphalt | Not listed as lit |
| 07/25 | 1,462 m4,798 ft | 22 m | asphalt | Lit |
Routes from WIL
Originfacts does not track any routes from WIL yet, so no route records are listed here. Check current schedules with the airlines or the airport’s own site.
Airlines with a hub at WIL
Per Wikidata (opens in a new tab) (retrieved 5 Oct 2026): airlines whose “airline hub” property names WIL, with no end date and not recorded as dissolved. Community-edited; hubs change.
Where WIL is
3.9 km south
Wilson Airport lies 3.9 km south of Nairobi city centre in a straight line. Road distance is longer; transport options are not yet verified (see terminals and transport below).
Calculated from the airport coordinates (OurAirports) and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point.
Terminals, transport and parking at WIL
Terminal assignments, ground transport into Nairobi, parking, lounges and accessibility services have not been verified against Wilson Airport’s own pages yet, so none are listed here.
Check directly:kaa.go.ke/airports/our-airports/wilson-airport (opens in a new tab)Map of the airport location (opens in a new tab)
Before you travel
- Confirm your terminal with the operating airline.
- Check the check-in and bag-drop cut-off times on your booking.
- Allow extra time if you need to change terminals or check bags in again.
- Check your flight status before you leave for the airport.
Airports near Nairobi
Straight-line distances calculated from each airport’s coordinates in the Originfacts airport records. Road distances are longer.
- NairobiJomo Kenyatta International AirportNBO13 km
- NanyukiNanyukiNYK152 km
- AmboseliAmboseliASV154 km
- Mara LodgesMara Lodges AirportMRE195 km
- Kichwa TemboKichwa TemboKTJ199 km
- SamburuSamburuUAS215 km
- ArushaArusha AirportARK228 km
- MeruMulika Lodge AirportJJM230 km
- KilimanjaroKilimanjaro International AirportJRO235 km
Wilson Airport: common questions
Where is Wilson Airport?
Wilson Airport serves Nairobi, Kenya. Its coordinates in OurAirports are -1.322°, 36.815°.
What are the airport codes for Wilson Airport?
The IATA code is WIL and the ICAO code is HKNW.
What time zone is WIL in?
Wilson Airport is in the Africa/Nairobi time zone.
What is the official website of Wilson Airport?
The airport’s official website is kaa.go.ke/airports/our-airports/wilson-airport. For questions about a booking, contact the operating airline.
How many runways does Wilson Airport have?
OurAirports lists 2 open runways at WIL: 14/32 (1,540 m (5,052 ft), asphalt); 07/25 (1,462 m (4,798 ft), asphalt).
When did Wilson Airport open?
Wikidata gives 1933 as its official opening date.
How many passengers use Wilson Airport?
Wikidata records 854,000 passengers for 2019, the latest year it holds.
Who operates Wilson Airport?
Per Wikidata, WIL is operated by Kenya Airports Authority.
Which airlines have a hub at WIL?
Wikidata lists WIL as a hub of 748 Air Services, Airkenya Express, ALS – Aircraft Leasing Services, Bluebird Aviation, Delta Connection and Safarilink Aviation.
How far is WIL from Nairobi city centre?
Wilson Airport is about 3.9 km south of Nairobi city centre in a straight line, calculated from coordinates. The distance by road is longer.
Sources
Nothing on this page is verified by hand yet. Each section comes from the dataset below, with its date where the dataset has one. Terminal, transport and parking details are left out until they can be read from Wilson Airport’s own pages.
- Codes, location, time zoneOriginfacts airport record10 Jul 2026
- Official websiteWikidata record (official website property) (opens in a new tab)5 Oct 2026
- Coordinates, runways, type, elevationOurAirports (opens in a new tab) — public domain5 Oct 2026
- Opening, operator, passengers, hubsWikidata item Q1049288 (opens in a new tab) — CC05 Oct 2026
- Distance to city centreCalculated from airport coordinates and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point—
- Nearby airportsCalculated from airport coordinates—
- Terminals and transportNot yet verified—
Background reading:Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)