KQ pilots push for the recompositing of proposed aviation board

Kenya Airways (KQ) pilots represented by the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) have called for the recompositing of the proposed Kenya Aviation Corporation Board.

In their submitted recommendations on the National Aviation Management Bill which was forced back into public participation, the KQ pilots are pushing for a diverse board representation.

For instance, KALPA is seeking for a nominee from its association to infuse knowledge in aviation management, flying and safety.

Further, the association wants a nominee of the Hotel and Restaurants Associations arguing 60 per cent of passengers carried by the carrier are tourists.

Additionally, the pilots want horticulture and other agricultural produce exporters to be included on the board given their contribution to the airline’s cargo business.

According to KALPA estimates, the two players hold a significant say in the aviation sector based on their contribution to overall air travel revenues and the general economy.

“These are the main stakeholders for the aviation sector as they make the business. Their inclusion on the board is the only way to make the aviation sector grow as desired in the bill,” KALPA Secretary General Captain Muriithi Nyaga told Citizen Digital.

The draft National Aviation Management Bill had earlier proposed an aviation cooporation board made up largely of nominees from the Executive.

The Chairperson of the Board for instance will be appointed by the President while the Cabinet Secretaries for Transport and the National Treasury are name other nominees to the board.

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi ordered a fresh round of public participation on the bill following uproars from MPs and other aviation stakeholders over inadequate participation.

The bill seeks to merge the operations of Kenya Airways (KQ) and the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) in a bid to strengthen the competitiveness of Kenya’s aviation sector.