Editorials

Aviation team must deliver

JKIA1111E

Terminal 1A at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The team set up to uplift Kenya’s international air services to a regional aviation hub status has its work cut out. It is expected to deliver on its mandate at a time competition for opportunities in the industry such as increased passenger numbers from neighbouring countries is on the rise.

The team is, among others, tasked with developing and reviewing policies relating to clearance formalities applied to international air transport services to ensure they match the best international practices.

Kenya must improve in areas such as safety and time management given that many of the current air travellers depend on Nairobi for connection flights.

The team needs to find strategies of tapping into the growing pool of travellers connecting to other countries and make Kenya their preferred destination.

But it must avoid the laxity that has been seen with many of the committees formed by government to deliver on specific assignments for the benefit of taxpayers.

Taxpayers have ended up paying the sitting allowances of such committees whose terms are sometimes extended without much to write home about.