National carrier Kenya Airways has regained certification from the European Union aviation regulator to maintain and repair foreign aircraft, three years after surrendering the approval.
The reinstatement of the Easa Part 145 certification by the European Aviation and Safety Agency affirms KQ’s ability to maintain and repair aircraft, increasing the carrier’s appeal to customer airlines opting to repair and maintain their aircraft in Kenya.
KQ had surrendered the certification in 2022 after identifying loose ends and gaps in its maintenance and repair operations, along with the need for new funding to revamp the unit.
“Our maintenance and repair operations are mainly to service our own aircraft as our main business. We have not really marketed our capabilities for customer airlines, so the revenues are not as significant, but we now plan to grow the unit with this certification,” said Kenya Airways chief executive officer Allan Kilavuka.
"This is a very important milestone for us because a lot of airlines look for Easa certified MROs (maintenance and repair operators) which we now have. The capabilities are not only to service our aircrafts but also customer airlines who come to us.”
The certification is a regulatory approval granted to an aircraft maintenance organisation, indicating that it meets the expected standards to undertake maintenance and repair works for aircraft.
Each recipient of the certification must demonstrate compliance with the requirements that include qualified personnel, proper facilities, suitable equipment and detailed maintenance procedures.
The certification is seen as beneficial because airlines and airline operators often look at the approval as a guarantee of high quality maintenance work.
The European Aviation and Safety Authority is expected to conduct regular audits and inspections to verify that Kenya Airways continues to meet the required standards.
KQ is the only local jet operator with the key European certification and is among few carriers with the approval in the region.
The national carrier sees the re-certification as an anchor for the planned expansion of its maintenance and repair operations, as the airline looks to generate revenue from the unit.
The push by KQ to diversify its business comes amid the carrier’s ongoing turnaround plan, which has included an external debt restructure exercise that helped it post a first half-year profit of Sh513 million in the six months to June 2024 by saving on its financing costs.
KQ previously indicated that it remains on course for a full-year profit for the period ending December 2024.
