Kenya-US direct flights may start in November

James Macharia, the Cabinet secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban development has said all issues that were under discussion between Kenyan aviation authorities and their American counterparts have been disposed of.PHOTO: COURTESY

Direct flights from Kenya to the US could start as soon as the end of October, Government officials say.

James Macharia, the Cabinet secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban development has said all issues that were under discussion between Kenyan aviation authorities and their American counterparts have been disposed of.

Mr Macharia said what remains is for the US to send an audit team for final confirmation and sign off for the flights to begin. He said this will be concluded by the end of October.

The new development was brought to light when Macharia met the US Transportation Secretary Antony Fox last Wednesday at the sidelines of the 39th Civil Aviation Assembly in Montreal, Canada.

IDENTIFIED DEFICIENCIES

Among other matters, the two ministers also reviewed the progress made by Kenya in achieving Category One status, a requirement for allowing direct flights to the US.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted a technical review of the Safety Oversight System in Kenya in October 2014, and came up with a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) developed in Washington in January 2015 to address the identified deficiencies following the technical review.

Part of the demands made by the FAA was for Kenya to legislate a law that would take away most of the powers vested on the Cabinet Secretary and transfer them to the head of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).

The Civil Aviation Amendment Bill 2015 also sought to give full regulatory powers to the director general of the KCAA while insulating him from political interference. FAA, in pressing for Parliament to pass the Bill, was looking for complete independence of the aviation sector.

Another facet that largely boosted Kenya’s chances for the direct flights was the fact that new terminals at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport were up and running. FAA wanted the new terminals in place before it could allow the flights, as they could accommodate more arrivals and boost security with their modern technology.

Also during the same sideline meeting, Macharia lobbied Mr Fox for Kenya to be re-elected in the ICAO council. The Council is a high level organ that has a hand in most aviation policies in the world and membership is lucrative.