NAIROBI, Kenya– Kenya is repositioning its aviation sector with sweeping regulatory and infrastructural changes, a move that comes as African states rally around the vision of harmonized skies and a unified air transport market.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir told delegates at the CANSO Africa Conference 2025 in Nairobi that the reforms are designed to raise safety standards, improve efficiency, and embrace sustainability across the sector.
He said the government is modernizing airports, digitizing aviation services, and exploring artificial intelligence for predictive maintenance and operational efficiency.
“In service delivery, Kenya is committed to enhancing the quality, efficiency, and accessibility of aviation services,” Chirchir said.
Chirchir added that airports under the Kenya Airports Authority are being upgraded to improve passenger experience, while the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) is aligning its National Aviation Safety Plan with global benchmarks to counter emerging risks such as unmanned aircraft systems and cybersecurity threats.
Chirchir also underscored Kenya’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, noting that the government is implementing the ICAO Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and pursuing green terminal projects under its CO₂ Emissions Reduction Action Plan (2022–2028).
KCAA Chairman Brown Ondego urged African countries to embrace collective action, describing the continent’s skies as “corridors of opportunity, innovation, and transformation.”
“The theme ‘Future Skies for Africa’ is timely. Collaboration and regional alignment are essential,” Ondego said.
KCAA Director General Emile Arao added that fragmented airspace and uneven infrastructure remain barriers to growth but argued that Africa has the chance to bypass outdated systems through scalable, tech-driven solutions.
The two-day conference, held under the theme Future Skies for Africa, has drawn regulators, service providers, and industry leaders to craft joint strategies that support the growth of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
