Kenya Airways warns Bill could delay aircraft repairs and disrupt flight schedules

Debate over the Strategic Goods Control Bill, 2026 has triggered concern from Kenya Airways, which now warns that new import controls on sensitive goods could unintentionally slow down aircraft maintenance and interfere with flight schedules if aviation parts are not clearly excluded from the proposed framework.

The airline made its case before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security on Wednesday, chaired by Gabriel Tongoyo, during ongoing public participation on the Bill that seeks to tighten control over goods classified as strategic or having dual-use potential.

The proposed law, introduced by Kimani Ichung’wah, is meant to regulate the movement of items that could be used for security threats, including military or terrorist purposes. However, Kenya Airways says the same rules, if applied broadly, could capture routine civil aviation equipment and slow down essential airline operations.

Through its Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services Habil A. Waswani, the airline told lawmakers that aircraft parts already go through strict international approval systems and should not face repeated checks under a new national clearance layer.

Kenya Airways argued that aviation safety is already governed by global regulators, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration, making additional approval steps unnecessary for certified commercial components.

“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.”

The airline warned that even small delays in clearing spare parts could ground aircraft or disrupt schedules, especially when urgent repairs are needed to return planes to service.

“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 noted that airlines often rely on fast shipment of components, sometimes arriving overnight from international hubs such as New York, and require immediate clearance to avoid flight disruptions the next day.

In one example shared with lawmakers, the airline pointed to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that developed a technical fault before a scheduled flight to Dubai, forcing changes in aircraft assignment and affecting passenger plans.

Kenya Airways further explained that its operational challenges are partly linked to its relatively small fleet size, which leaves little room to absorb delays when aircraft are grounded for repairs.

“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.

The airline also cautioned that introducing additional approval requirements without a faster clearance pathway for aviation equipment could weaken its ability to compete with larger international carriers that operate more aircraft and have greater flexibility during disruptions.

It proposed that Parliament consider a dedicated fast-track or pre-clearance system for certified aviation parts to ensure security concerns are addressed without affecting airline operations.

Kenya Airways maintained that civil aviation components certified under global standards pose minimal risk compared to goods targeted under the Bill and should therefore be treated differently under the law.

Lawmakers are still collecting views from stakeholders before compiling a report for debate in the National Assembly.