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Kenya’s air regulator finally cracks the whip and suspends two airlines over poor safety record

Silverstone Airline.
  • Safe Air Company and Adventure Aloft stand suspended and should not be used by Kenyans according to KCAA.
  • KCAA Director General Gilbert Kibe said they are currently conducting safety audit of all airlines in the country.
  • Despite the growing concern, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rates Kenya’s air safety record as ‘commendable’ with a 78% score.

Following backlash by Kenyans and pressure from Parliament over poor air safety, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has finally decided to crack the whip and suspended the licences of two airlines over poor safety record.

On Thursday, KCAA Director General Gilbert Kibe told the National Assembly Transport and housing committee that Safe Air Company and Adventure Aloft stand suspended and should not be used by Kenyans after the regulator inspected them and found them wanting.

Captain Kibe also added that Dash 8, an aircraft belonging to Silverstone, has also been suspended for seven days following a scary incident last month where one of its tires fell off during take-off.

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“They cannot operate until we come up with a report on what happened that led to the fall off of the wheel,” Mr Kibe said, Daily Nation reported.

This was the third incident involving the airline in the past one month alone and many Kenyans were left questioning how safe is it to fly with Silverstone air. 

The KCAA boss had been invited alongside Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia and the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) management after two planes belonging to Silverstone Airlines recorded emergency landing incidents in a span of three weeks.

However, despite the scare, other fleet of Silverstone planes will continue to operate normally as they have been inspected and found to be safe, Kibe clarified.

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The MPs were however, not satisfied and have called for a comprehensive report of air accidents in the last decade. 

The lawmakers said that KCAA should not only single out one airline. In his defense, Mr Kibe disclosed that they are currently conducting safety audit of all airlines in the country.

Despite the growing concern, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rates Kenya’s air safety record as ‘commendable’ with a 78% score in the last released results of 2017.

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