By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, May 21, 2026 - Kenya Airways (KQ) has warned Parliament that proposed controls under the Strategic Goods Control Bill, 2026 could worsen flight delays and cancellations by slowing the importation of critical aircraft spare parts.
Appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, the airline said additional clearance requirements for aviation equipment could disrupt operations and undermine its competitiveness against larger international carriers.
The Bill, sponsored by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah, seeks to regulate the import, export and transit of strategic and dual-use goods that could pose national security risks if diverted for military or terrorist use.
However, KQ argued that civil aviation equipment is already subject to strict international oversight and should not face additional layers of approval.
“Aviation is already a highly regulated safety and security sector,” Kenya Airways Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services Habil Waswani told the committee chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo.
“The parts that you put on aircraft have to be inspected and certified by international bodies before airlines can operate into certain territories,” he added.
Mr Waswani urged lawmakers to amend the Bill to exempt International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)-certified aircraft, spare parts, software and aviation services intended for commercial passenger operations.
The airline also proposed that equipment certified under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards be expressly excluded unless diverted for military use.
KQ warned that delays in clearing spare parts could immediately affect flight schedules, particularly because the airline operates a relatively small fleet.
“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,” said Mr Waswani.
He cited a recent incident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that developed a technical problem before a Dubai flight, forcing the airline to downgrade passengers to a smaller aircraft.
According to the airline, spare parts are often flown into the country overnight from destinations such as New York and require immediate customs clearance so engineers can restore aircraft for the next day’s operations.
KQ said operational challenges linked to limited fleet size and delayed spare parts have contributed to frequent complaints over flight disruptions.
“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,” Mr Waswani told MPs.
The airline warned that introducing another layer of bureaucracy without fast-track mechanisms for aviation equipment could weaken its position against rivals such as Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines, which operate larger fleets and enjoy greater operational flexibility.
KQ proposed the establishment of a pre-clearance framework for airline-specific parts and equipment to speed up processing while maintaining security checks.
Mr Waswani argued that certified civil aviation components pose a relatively low national security threat compared to military and dual-use technologies targeted by the Bill.
Lawmakers are currently collecting stakeholder views before preparing a report for debate in the National Assembly.
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