Saudi Arabian Airlines, Bluebird Aviation, Jetways and the African Express Airways are among airlines seeking licenses and from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) for either domestic or international air-services.
The Authority says it has received over 30 applications from companies seeking to tap into the airline business with some airlines seeking to add new aircraft model to their fleet.
If granted a license, Bluebird Aviation will operate international scheduled air service for passengers, cargo and mail services on Arusha, Mogadishu, Entebbe, Kigali and Zanzibar routes via either Wilson or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Jetways Airlines is seeking to be granted pass to operate domestic air service for passengers, cargo and mail on Mombasa, Ukunda, and Lodwar routes using aircraft type F50, F70 and F100 based at JKIA and Wilson Airport.
Seven other companies (SAC, Dragonfly, Lady Lori, Astral Aviation, Airvan, Flight Training Center and Northwood Agencies) are seeking variation of their existing air service licence to include additional aircraft types.
Saudi Arabian Airlines is seeking a license to operate non-scheduled air services for cargo with Nairobi connections while the Tanzania Air Services wants the same for international non-scheduled air services for passengers, cargo and mail between designated points in Kenya and Tanzania using aircraft types; BE20, B350, B190 and F406 based in Dar es salaam, Tanzania
Earlier in the year, KCAA granted approvals and variations to several air service licenses, reflecting an expansion in the mix of domestic and international operations.
Commercial Passengers
According to KCAA statistics on commercial passenger traffic, the total number of passengers handled increased by 16.8 percent from 10.1 million in 2017 to 11.8 million in 2018.
Domestic and international passengers increased by 22.5 per cent and 13.1 per cent, respectively, in 2018. International passenger arrivals increased by 13.3 per cent from 3.0 million in 2017 to 3.4 million in 2018 while international passenger departures increased by 16.7 percent from 1.8 million in 2017 to 2.1 million in 2018. Similarly, the number of international passengers in transit increased by 7.7 per cent from 1.3 million in 2017 to 1.4 million in 2018.
Cargo and Mail
The volume of commercial cargo traffic increased by 23.3 per cent from 290.8 thousand tonnes in 2017 to 358.7 thousand tonnes in 2018. Cargo handled at JKIA increased by 24.8 per cent to 340.8 thousand tonnes while that handled at MIA increased by 11.1 per cent to 4.0 thousand tonnes in 2018.
However, the volume of cargo handled in other airports decreased by 2.1 per cent from 14.2 thousand tonnes in 2017 to 13.9 thousand tonnes in 2018. The total volume of mail traffic increased by 35.8 per cent from 617.0 tonnes in 2017 to 837.6 tonnes in 2018, largely on account of a 36.2 per cent increase in the volume of mail traffic handled at JKIA.
Source: Kenyan Wallstreet
