The airport handled 802,731 passengers in 2014[1] and serves mainly regional flights, and a few long-haul services due to its importance as a leisure destination.

Many international visitors also go to national parks in Tanzania, to the Indian Ocean coast, to islands such as Zanzibar, and to Lake Victoria, reflected in the routes of connecting flights.

[1] On 19 February 2014, the governments of Tanzania and the Netherlands signed a grant arrangement to rehabilitate the airport, including its aprons, taxiways, and terminal building.

[5] In November 2015, renovations began at the airport, aimed at doubling its capacity from 600,000 passengers to 1.2 million annually.

[3] The following airlines maintain regular, scheduled passenger and cargo service to and from Kilimanjaro International Airport.

3: Qatar Airways' outbound flights from Kilimanjaro to Doha make a stop in Dar es Salaam.