How MPs Could Worsen Flight Delays and Cancellations at Kenya Airways

Kenya Airways has cautioned that proposed controls under the Strategic Goods Control Bill, 2026, could worsen flight delays and cancellations unless civil aviation parts and services are exempted from additional layers of clearance.

Appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, Kenya Airways Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services Habil A. Waswani said the national carrier fears the proposed law could slow the importation of critical aircraft spare parts needed to keep flights operating on schedule.

The Bill, sponsored by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah, seeks to regulate the import, export, and transit of strategic and dual-use goods that could pose national security risks if diverted for military or terrorist use.

But KQ told lawmakers that aviation equipment used by commercial airlines is already subject to rigorous international certification and oversight by global aviation authorities, making additional scrutiny unnecessary and potentially harmful to airline operations.

Waswani urged Parliament to amend Section 3(2) of the Bill or introduce a new clause exempting International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)-certified civil aircraft, parts, software, and aviation services intended for commercial passenger operations, subject to end-use certification.

The airline also proposed that the interpretation schedule be clarified to expressly exclude civil aviation items certified under European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards unless they are diverted for military use.

Effect on Kenya Airways

“Aviation is already a highly regulated safety and security sector,” Waswani told the committee during public participation on the Bill.

“The parts that you put on aircraft have to be inspected and certified by international bodies before airlines can operate into certain territories.”

He argued that requiring additional approvals under the Strategic Goods Control framework would create duplication and operational inefficiencies for airlines already operating under strict international oversight.

KQ warned that delays in clearing aircraft parts could directly affect flight reliability, particularly for airlines operating smaller fleets.

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Delays And Cancellations Of Flights

“For Kenya Airways, we currently have around 34 aircraft. When one aircraft goes down, and you need a replacement part, delays in securing that part affect operations immediately,” Waswani said.

He cited a recent disruption involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that developed a technical problem before a flight to Dubai, forcing the airline to downgrade passengers to a smaller aircraft.

According to the airline, spare parts often arrive overnight aboard inbound flights from destinations such as New York and require immediate customs clearance to allow engineers to restore aircraft for the next day’s operations.

The airline linked frequent complaints about delays and cancellations partly to fleet limitations and difficulties in obtaining critical spare parts quickly.

“You hear complaints that Kenya Airways is always late or unreliable, but sometimes the root cause is operational realities linked to limited fleet size and turnaround times,” he said.

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KQ Proposed A Framework

KQ argued that introducing another layer of bureaucracy without fast-track provisions for aviation equipment could damage the airline’s competitiveness against larger carriers such as Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines, which operate significantly bigger fleets and have greater operational flexibility.

The airline proposed the creation of a pre-clearance framework for airline-specific parts and equipment to allow faster processing while maintaining necessary security checks.

Waswani said the perceived national security threat posed by certified civil aviation components is relatively low compared to military or dual-use technologies targeted by the Bill.

Lawmakers are currently collecting stakeholder views before preparing a report for debate in the National Assembly.

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