The Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has issued a warning to all carriers not to carry onboard cargo on their flights unless their AOC operations specifications (opspecs) allow for this, The Star has reported.
The KCAA established that a number of operators carry freight on their passenger services. The Star reported that some of the carriers performed unauthorised conversions of their passenger aircraft to carry onboard cargo, which can pose a danger to safety.
Although the report did not name any airlines, it wrote that seven airlines operating out of either Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta or Nairobi Wilson were found to be in breach of Kenyan aviation rules by carrying onboard freight. This offence is believed to be particularly prevalent among carriers operating flights to neighbouring Somalia. The Star lists Capital Airlines (Kenya), Skyward International Aviation, Bluebird Aviation (Kenya), Silverstone Air Services, Buffair Services, Rudufu, and Bushair Safaris among the airlines connecting Kenya and Somalia.
Penalties for operators found in violation of the rules include the possible loss of their operating licences.
The authority also came down on carriers on other regulatory issues, including operating flights for other companies which do not have their own AOCs or changing shareholding structures without notifying the regulator.
