Editor's Review

Justifying the move to dispose of the planes, KCAA indicated that they had been abandoned at different airports in the country including at JKIA, Wilson Airport and others in Malindi Airport.

The Kenya Kwanza administration has threatened to dispose of 92 aeroplanes through a public auction.

In a notice published in the Kenya Gazette dated Friday, January 19, the government through the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) issued a 30-day ultimatum to the owners of the 92 planes.

KCAA directed them to claim ownership or risk losing them through the announced auction.

Justifying the move to dispose of the planes, KCAA indicated that they had been abandoned at different airports in the country including at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Wilson Airport and others in Malindi Airport.

Further, KCAA noted that the planes had occupied the space which could otherwise be used by other planes landing at the mentioned airports.

File image of planes parked at JKIA. PHOTO | COURTESY

The aviation authority lamented that their continued stay at different airports has contravened international standards which put the country at risk of being flagged by other monitoring organizations.

Some of the operators of the abandoned planes include 748 Air Services, Jubba Airways, Kenya Airways, East African Safari Air Express, African Express and National Airways.

KCAA noted that others are privately owned while others the owners are yet to be established.

For their planes to be released, KCAA announced that the owners would be required to pay all outstanding charges and cover all other incidental costs.

"NOTICE is given pursuant to the provision of the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act (Cap. 38) of the laws of Kenya, to the parties appearing on the Schedule herein below to take delivery of the aircrafts parked at various airports’ aprons/airside areas or any unserviceable aircrafts parked in the airports movement areas in absolute contravention of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) Safety Regulations, which delivery must be done within thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice and upon payment of all outstanding charges and any incidental costs, including the cost of publication of this notice, failure to which the said aircrafts will be sold by public auction and the proceeds of sale shall be defrayed against any incurred charges and the balance if any shall remain at the owners’ credit but should there be a shortfall, the owners shall be liable thereof," KCAA stated.