Safety is the implicit licence to operate in aviation

One of the Kenya Airways Boeing Dreamliner at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Nairobi. July 26th,2023.[FILE,Standard]

Aviation safety came under renewed focus after the tragic accident at the Dubai Airshow where an Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet crashed during a display, taking the life of its pilot. The loss has deeply affected the aviation community.

Situations like this remind all of us of the weight of human responsibility at the core of aviation and the importance of rigorous systems. Skilled professionals and continuous vigilance. India has opened a full inquiry and grounded the fleet to protect future crews and ensure full understanding of the cause. 

Kenya follows the same disciplined approach. Its aviation sector remains tightly supervised and all aircraft operators in the country, including Kenya Airways (KQ), must navigate a thicket of domestic and international oversight. The flag-carrier recently cleared its second risk-based ISOSA audit and renewed its IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) accreditation for its Nairobi and Mombasa hubs. 

The risk-based ISAGO, run by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), tailors inspections to an airline’s particular operational hazards and the robustness of its safety systems. ISAGO, another IATA scheme, extends similar scrutiny to ground-handling services, establishing a worldwide benchmark intended to sharpen safety, curb ground damage and incidents and embed a culture of continual improvement. 

Our focus on safety extends to our maintenance operations. KQ’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, one of only a few in Africa, holds certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The endorsement signals that the workshop meets Europe’s regulatory standards and operates within the requisite technical competence and quality control.

It also grants KQ the authority to service aircraft registered in the EU, as well as those from other jurisdictions that follow EASA rules. 

The national carrier also invests heavily in continuous pilot development. Pilots are trained using the currently updated syllabus which include advanced modules for complex weather patterns and low-visibility environments. The curriculum, developed together with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, incorporates simulator programmes  that prepare our crews for operations in approved airports where visibility approaches zero. 

Yet several prerequisites must be in place before low visibility operations can proceed. Pilots must be properly trained. Aircraft, for their part, must meet stringent maintenance standards. Regulators in jurisdictions that mandate such operations must themselves be trained and certified. And finally, airports must secure the requisite approvals to accommodate them. 

Kenya Airways, though an enthusiastic adopter of low-visibility operations, remains notably committed to honing its pilots’ manual flying skills. Such training is what equips crews to contend with the caprices of weather; particularly the blustery crosswinds that occasionally challenge even the most seasoned aviators. Kenyan pilots have earned quiet plaudits for their composure in these moments, executing safe landings at Heathrow and other demanding airports when gusts might rattle less practiced hands. 

Kenya’s strong aviation safety reputation continues to attract interest from major Middle eastern carriers. These airlines consistently look to Nairobi when recruiting ground and cockpit professionals and our people represent Kenya’s standards with pride across global airports. 

The writer is Chief Operations Officer at Kenya Airways