Lusaka Airport Travel Delays: Great East Road works affect Kenneth Kaunda International Airport transfers

Travellers flying via Lusaka should be aware of increased traffic congestion along the main airport corridor due to ongoing road works on Great East Road. The disruption is affecting journey times to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN), particularly during peak morning and evening hours.

Zambia Airways has issued a travel advisory urging passengers to plan ahead and adjust departure times accordingly to avoid missing check-in and security cut-offs.

What’s happening on Great East Road?

The current works along the Great East Road are a major rehabilitation and upgrade project rather than routine patching. The section from Munali Roundabout to Airport Roundabout is being widened from four to six lanes, with a flyover bridge planned at the Hybrid Roundabout. 

The road works are currently causing intermittent slowdowns and congestion. While traffic is still moving, bottlenecks are expected—especially when commuter traffic peaks.

Because this route is one of the primary arteries linking central Lusaka to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN), even moderate delays can significantly impact airport transfer times.

What this means for travellers

If you are travelling to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in the coming days or weeks, you should expect:

• Longer-than-usual transfer times from central Lusaka and surrounding suburbs
• Unpredictable delays during peak commuting hours
• Increased risk of missing check-in if travelling too close to departure time

The key takeaway: build a time buffer into your airport journey.

Recommended airport arrival times

To avoid disruption, passengers should aim to arrive at the airport well ahead of minimum check-in deadlines:

• International flights: Arrive at least 1 hour before departure (earlier if travelling during peak traffic hours)
• Domestic flights: Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure (allow extra buffer due to road delays)

For peace of mind, consider adding an additional 30–60 minutes of travel time when planning your departure to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN).

Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) is about 23 kilometres (roughly 15–27 km depending on the measurement point) from central Lusaka via the Great East Road. The commonly quoted driving distance is approximately 23 km and the trip typically takes about 20–35 minutes by car depending on traffic. 

 

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Zambia: Renovations at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport's Terminal 1!

Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL) has announced the temporary closure of the Departure Lounge in Terminal 1 at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka. The closure is part of ongoing renovations aimed at improving the facility.
Terminal 1, which serves domestic flights, has been reconfigured to ensure that operations remain uninterrupted. Passengers will use alternative routing within the terminal, and all domestic flights will continue as scheduled without any disruptions. Stay tuned for updates on the progress of the renovations!

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Zambia: The new Terminal 2 at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka is now operational! [update]

update (20 August 2021): The Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL) has announced that passengers departing from Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka on flights with Emirates, Air Tanzania and Kenya Airways are advised to use Terminal 1 until further notice. All other departing international passengers should use the new Terminal 2.

Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL), the state-owned company responsible for the development, maintenance and management of the four international airports in Zambia, has announced that the newly constructed state of the art new passenger terminal (Terminal 2) at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka is now operational. Effective today (05 August 2021), it will be used for international travel. Domestic passengers will continue to be processed from the current terminal also known as Terminal 1 until further notice.
The construction of the new Terminal 2 forms part of an extensive airport expansion project, which started in June 2015. It comprises of the new passenger terminal, a hotel, rescue and fire station, air traffic control, presidential pavilion, cargo terminal, a shopping mall and an office complex. According to ZACL Managing Director Fumu Mondoloka, the construction works at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) in Lusaka will be be complete within this quarter (3Q2021). ZACL expects that once commissioned the current airport capacity of 2 million passeners per year will increase to about 6 million passengers per year.

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Lusaka: Kenneth Kaunda International Airport set for major upgrades!

Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (IATA: LUN) in Lusaka (Zambia), located about 15km northeast of the city's CBD, will see various major upgrades over the next at least 4.5 years. It is projected that the construction of the upgrades will cost approx. US$360 million.


View Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in a larger map

The upgrades at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (IATA: LUN) in Lusaka will include:

• a two-story terminal building of 34,500 m²
•  including 22 check-in counters
• 12 border channels
• 6 security check counters;
• a presidential terminal (4,000 m²) for the president, ministers and VIP guests
• a new air traffic control building and tower (2,000 m²)
• a new National Airport Corporation office/shops complex (1,200 m²)
• an airport hotel of 80 rooms
• a new car park (22,200 m²)
• a new cargo hangar (5,000 m²)
• new aprons and taxiways

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