Kenya Airways gets access to more routes after MPs vote

National Assembly’s Transport committee chair David Pkosing. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

By EDWIN MUTAI

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Summary

• MPs last month approved the signing of air service agreements between Kenya and Jordan, Kenya and Jamaica, Kenya and Bahamas and the protocol amending air services agreement between Kenya and Turkey.
• The agreements impose an obligation on each contracting party to grant to the other contracting party rights in respect of international air services.
• They include the right to fly across its territory without landing and the right to make stops in its territory for non-traffic purposes.

Kenya Airways is set to open the year on a brighter note after Parliament approved the ratification of four bilateral air services agreements that will open up more routes for the national carrier.

The National Assembly last month approved the signing of air service agreements between Kenya and Jordan, Kenya and Jamaica, Kenya and Bahamas and the protocol amending air services agreement between Kenya and Turkey.

“The key objective of the instrument is to approve bilateral air services agreements between Kenya and various countries to enable Kenyan air operators such as Kenya Airways to provide scheduled air services and expand existing route network. In addition, the agreements allow foreign carriers access the Kenyan market,” David Pkosing, who chairs the Transport committee, said.

The agreements impose an obligation on each contracting party to grant to the other contracting party rights in respect of international air services.

They include the right to fly across its territory without landing and the right to make stops in its territory for non-traffic purposes.

The protocol amending Air Services Agreement between Kenya and Turkey aims to amend Article 13 which provides for establishment of tariffs.

“The tariffs are to be established by the designated airlines at reasonable levels due regards being paid to all relevant factors, including cost of operation, reasonable profit and the tariffs of other airlines,” the report states.

The Kenya-Jordan agreement was negotiated and initialed on April 23, 2008 in Amman, Jordan and operationalised by the signing of memorandum of understanding.

The agreement provides for multiple designations of airlines, unlimited number of frequencies, no restriction on aircraft capacity and an open and liberal route schedule.

Currently, no Kenyan carrier operates scheduled air services to and from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Similarly, there are is no airline from Jordan operating scheduled air services between the two states. “However, the Jordanian authorities have on several occasions requested through the diplomatic channels for agreement to be formally signed,” Mr Pkosing said.

On the agreement between Kenya and Jamaica that was negotiated and initialed on November 20, 2014 in Bali, Indonesia, the Jamaican authorities have requested for the Agreement to be signed.