Eldoret International Airport

EDL HKEL  Eldoret, Kenya

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EDL at a glance

  • What it is: Eldoret International Airport is a regional airport serving Eldoret, Kenya.
  • Codes: EDL on your ticket, HKEL on the radar.
  • Size: 1 runway at 6,941 ft above sea level.
  • Local time zone: Africa/Nairobi (UTC+3), so every time shown for EDL is local rather than UTC.
1
Runways
6941 ft
Field elevation

About Eldoret International Airport

Eldoret International Airport lies in the tropics at 0.40° N, 35.24° E, on Africa/Nairobi time (UTC+3). Tropical airports contend with heat and humidity, both of which thin the air and lengthen takeoff runs, and with convective storms that build fast in the afternoon.

Eldoret International Airport has 1 runway. The longest, 08/26, measures 11,480 ft by 147 ft, which puts the field in the long-haul capable category: widebodies operate comfortably, though the very longest sectors may need a payload trade. The surface is asphalt. It is lit for night operations.

Runway 08/26 is aligned roughly east/west, which is the clearest hint you get about the prevailing wind here: runways are built to face the wind that blows most often, because aircraft take off and land into it. Every runway here shares that east/west alignment, so a strong crosswind means a crosswind landing rather than a switch to another strip.

The field sits at 6,941 ft, high enough that density altitude matters. Takeoff runs stretch on warm afternoons and climb performance is weaker than the same aircraft would manage at sea level.

Runways at EDL

RunwayLengthWidthSurfaceLighting
08/26 11,480 ft (3,499 m) 147 ft Asphalt Lit

Runway numbers are the magnetic heading rounded to ten degrees, which is why they change when the magnetic field drifts - runway numbers explained.

Airports near EDL

Great-circle distance from Eldoret International Airport, closest first.

AirportCodeDistanceDirectionCity
Jomo Kenyatta NBO 268 km south-east Nairobi
Entebbe EBB 313 km west Entebbe
Kilimanjaro JRO 472 km south-east Arusha
IATA / ICAO
EDL / HKEL
Location
Eldoret, Kenya 0.404, 35.239
Time zone
Africa/Nairobi
Opened

Nearby and related airports

Geographically close airports and useful alternatives in Kenya.

More airports and guides connected to EDL

Thin mountain air changes how planes take off here, which cruising altitude explained unpacks. Nearby, Nairobi (NBO) serves the same country. The codes EDL and HKEL are explained in airport codes decoded.

Data sources and review

Reviewed 2026-07-29 by Flight-Tracker.net Editorial Team

This profile is generated from the airport's published coordinates, elevation and runway records. It does not claim live terminal or passenger totals.

Read our airport data sourcing and review process, or inspect the machine-readable reference dataset.

Frequently asked questions about EDL

What is the airport code for Eldoret International Airport?

Eldoret International Airport uses the IATA code EDL on tickets and baggage tags, and the ICAO code HKEL in flight plans and on radar. The leading “H” in HKEL is the region marker: ICAO codes are grouped geographically, which is why airports near each other usually share their first letter or two while their IATA codes look unrelated.

How many runways does EDL have?

Eldoret International Airport operates 1 runway. The field sits at 6,941 ft above sea level.

What time zone is EDL in?

Eldoret International Airport operates on Africa/Nairobi local time. Scheduled departure and arrival times for this airport are always published in local time, not UTC.

Can I track flights at EDL live?

Yes. The map on this page shows every aircraft broadcasting its position within about 55 km of Eldoret International Airport. The boards split them into departures, arrivals and traffic passing overhead, all timed in Africa/Nairobi.