Having been closed 'indefinitely' by the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) following a dawn terror attack by Al-Shabaab early on January 5, Lamu/Manda Airport was re-opened just hours later on the same day.
The civilian airport is also a Kenya Air Force base used by the US military. Three Americans were killed when Al-Shabaab fighters stormed the air base section of the airfield. The Associated Press, citing local police reports, said that a "US Cessna and a Kenya" aircraft had also been destroyed along with two unspecified US helicopters.
Four Al-Shabaab militants were also killed, according to a statement from the Kenya Defence Forces, adding that the attack had been repulsed and that the airstrip had been resecured. Five people have also been arrested in connection with the attack.
KCAA Director General Gilbert Kibe said in a statement on the authority's website: “KCAA wishes to notify aviation stakeholders and members of the public that after the early morning incident in Lamu County, the temporary closure of Lamu Civilian Airstrip operated by Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has been lifted allowing for normal operations to resume.”
According to the ch-aviation schedules module, airlines using Lamu include Blue Sky Aviation Services (Kenya) (SBK, Mombasa), EastAfrican (EXZ, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta), Fly540 (FFV, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta), Safarilink Aviation (F2, Nairobi Wilson), and Skyward Express (OW, Nairobi Wilson). The five carriers operate domestic services to Ol Kiombo, Nairobi Wilson, Mombasa, Malindi, as well as several airstrips in the Maasai Mara.
