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Manda Airport

Lamu, Kenya

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Routes out

Destinations

HKLU

ICAO

20 ft

Elevation

TravelerPulse profile

Island gateway serving Kenya's historic Lamu Archipelago.

Location

Lamu, Kenya

Manda Airport (IATA: LAU, ICAO: HKLU) is a small regional airport located on Manda Island in the Lamu Archipelago off the northern coast of Kenya. It serves as the primary air access point to Lamu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest Swahili settlements in East Africa. The airport handles scheduled and charter flights connecting Lamu to Nairobi and Mombasa, supporting tourism and local travel. Its single runway is suitable for light to medium turboprop aircraft. Due to Manda Island's geography, passengers must cross a short water channel by boat to reach Lamu town after landing.

Terminals

The airport has a single, modest terminal building with basic passenger facilities suited to its low-traffic regional operations.

Getting to & from

Passengers travel from the airport to Lamu town by a short motorized boat ride across the channel between Manda Island and Lamu Island, as there is no road bridge.

Airlines here

Airlines serving Manda Airport include Safarilink Aviation, AirKenya Express, and occasionally charter operators connecting to Nairobi's Wilson Airport and Mombasa.

Notable facts

›Located on Manda Island, separate from Lamu town, requiring a boat transfer to reach the main settlement.
›Lamu Old Town, the destination served by this airport, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
›The runway is approximately 1,200 meters long, limiting operations to smaller turboprop aircraft.
›The airport plays a critical role in tourism to one of Kenya's most historically significant coastal destinations.
›No private cars are permitted in Lamu town, making the area uniquely dependent on boats and donkeys for local transport.

Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.

Route map (2 destinations)

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap © CARTO

Airlines serving this airport

Fly540

Flightline

Fly Air

Routes

LAU → MYD5H · DH8

LAU → MYDB5 · BE1

LAU → WILF2 · DH8

LAU → MYDP2 · DH8

Aircraft operating here

DH83 routes BE11 routes

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Encyclopaedia

Manda Airport, also called Lamu Airport, is an airport in Kenya. Manda Airport is a small domestic airport located on Manda Island, serving the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya's coastal region. It provides air access to Lamu Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as nearby islands like Shela and Manda. The airport has a single runway and basic facilities, mainly handling domestic flights from Nairobi, Mombasa, and Malindi. Access to Lamu Island from the airport is via a short boat ride.

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