Vacuum at Kenya Airports Authority after CEO opts out

KAA Managing Director Jonny Andersen. [Photo, File]

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has announced its Chief Executive Officer Jonny Andersen will leave office by end of September.

Jonny who has been with the KAA since November 2016 opted not to renew his contract, which was due to expire on November 21.

“Jonny brought a good knowledge of the industry and an ability to forge consensus among stakeholders. He has served with distinction and I wish him well in his future endeavours,” said KAA Chairman Isaac Awuondo.

“During his tenure, we built a strong foundation for future growth, including strengthening our management team, improving our operations and enhancing customer service. The Board and I are committed to ensuring the Kenya Airports Authority fulfills its full potential to enable all our customers to experience stress-free travel,” he added.

The recruitment process for a new CEO/Managing Director has already commenced.

The news comes after the parliament in July approved the restructuring of Kenya’s entire aviation sector.

Parliament’s transport committee recommended the formation of an umbrella Aviation Holding Company to run Kenya’s aviation sector.

Recommendations include establishing the holding company with four subsidiaries comprising the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Kenya Airways (KQ), the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and a centralised Aviation Services College, which will run independently.

“This will now result into a whole restructuring as the parliament has given the executive power to implement the recommendations and do a proper restructuring of the aviation sector,” said David Pkosing, Chairman, Transport Committee.

The government has two years to adopt the necessary measures to enable it to implement the directive.