CS, aviation agencies summoned over Silverstone Air accidents

A parliamentary committee has summoned Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) to appear on Friday to shed light on the level of regulatory compliance of local airlines.

The National Assembly Committee on Transport and Public works has also invited Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia and his Principal Secretary Esther Koimett to explain the status, safety, approved manuals and procedures of all operating commercial airlines

The Transport ministry houses the Aircraft Accident Investigations Directorate, which is mandated to carry out investigations to establish causes of air accidents and make appropriate recommendations.

This follows a series of incidents by a privately-owned airline, Silverstone Air, which has risked the safety of its clients.

“We want KCAA to tell Parliament and the country; the age and manufacture date of the two aircrafts belonging to Silverstone Air,” Pokot South MP David Pkosing, who chairs the committee told a press conference on Tuesday.

Pkosing was flanked by MPs Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Mugambi Rindikiri (Buuri) and Kosgei Kipkoech (Sotik).

“We also want to know the last time Silverstone Air aircrafts were inspected for air safety and who did the inspection that gave the planes a clean bill of health despite being air unworthy,” he added.

In addition, Pkosing said KCAA, which is responsible for regulating the aviation industry and providing air navigation services in Kenya will provide information on the fleet of aircraft that operates from Wilson Airport.

“Most Kenyans travel via Wilson Airport to various destinations. We need KCAA to tell us by way of chronology, the age of aircrafts operated by local airlines from the Wilson Airport,” the committee chairman said.

Some of the commercial local airlines include Kenya Airways, Five Forty Aviation Ltd (trading as Fly540), African Express Airways,  AirKenya Express and Jambojet.

Others are Silverstone Air Services Ltd, trading as Silverstone Air, Safari link Aviation, Skyward International Aviation, Queensway Air Services among others.

On Monday, a Silverstone Air plane made an emergency landing at Eldoret International Airport after one of its tyres came off midair as the aircraft was taking off from Lodwar Airstrip en route to Nairobi.

This comes a week after another Silverstone airline slipped off the runway at Wilson Airport.

The plane, flight 5Y-IZO carrying 50 passengers, skid off Wilson Airport as it prepared to take off to Lamu.

The committee has promised to pronounce itself over the two incidents claiming it will to be business as usual.