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- The aviation regulator of Kenya has extended the payment period for expired licenses
- The move is expected to cushion airlines that have suffered huge losses following the outbreak of coronavirus
Following the coronavirus Pandemic, Kenya suspended its international flights and restricted the operations of its domestic flights. According to media reports, Kenya Airways had to ground 90 percent of its fleet. The operators recorded a steep fall in revenues after the State grounded planes and suspended air travel except for cargo operations,
To help carriers facing recession in the wake of the coronavirus, the aviation regulator of Kenya has extended the payment period for expired licenses to cushion carriers facing reduced bookings in the pandemic. Kenya Civil Aviation Authority(KCCA) director-general Gilbert Kibe announced that the deferment will be applicable with immediate effect. He assured the aircraft operators in Kenya that under the current arrangements, licences will not expire. The life of the existing license or certificate will be extended. The move is expected to cushion airlines that have suffered huge losses following the outbreak of coronavirus. Meanwhile, the airports’ regulator is also seeking the approval of Transport ministry to exempt local airlines from paying aircraft landing and parking fees.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecast, the African airlines would record a loss of nearly $200 million in 2020 and the global aviation industry is projected to lose $29 billion in 2020.
