Renewing of aviation licences now resumes after 10-month break

Airlines and aviation workers such as pilots have started renewing annual licences after a 10-month freeze imposed to cushion the industry from travel slump that followed the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) director-general Gilbert Kibe told the Business Daily in an interview yesterday that renewal of licences, that has been on ice since last May started this month.

The charges for renewing an aircraft licence varies depending on the type, make and size of a particular plane.

KCAA charges Sh250,000 annually for an air operator certificate inspection licence for aircrafts measuring 90kilos and above. The regulator also charges Sh4,500 to issue a new licence to a commercial pilot in Kenya while a cabin crew member pays Sh2,000 to renew his permit. Ground instructors pay Sh5,000 to be issued with a licence, but when renewing the license, they part with Sh2,500.

“Air traffic numbers have been going up since we resumed both domestic and international air travel last year. As such, operators in Kenya will start paying their licences this month,” said Mr Kibe.

The operators recorded a drop in revenues after the State grounded planes and suspended air travel except for cargo operations. Schools were also closed while companies were encouraged to have their staff work from home to curb the spread of the virus last year.

The State also ordered a shutdown of bars and nightclubs and put a freeze on church services and weddings as well as capped funeral gatherings to 15 people.

The measures saw domestic carriers in the county emerge as the hardest hit with players asking for a Sh3 billion in bailout through the Kenya Association of Air Operators.

But resumptions of both domestic and international flights last July due to relaxed Covid-19 containment measures by the state has seen passenger numbers slightly climb, offering a ray of hope for one of the hardest hit industry.