Reported by
Faridah N Kulumba
At the end of last April 2021, the flag carrier airline of Kenya, Kenya Airways signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United Kingdom Advanced Air Mobility company Skyports to collaborate on launching permanent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations in the country.
This Cooperation will bring together Kenya Airways significant expertise in aviation services and Skyports’ drone delivery logistics service, delivery by Skyports.
Kenyan Airways announced the news of signing the (MOU) On Tuesday 27 April 2021, a month after the regulator, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) legislated the use of of unmanned aerial vehicles in the country triggered what is shaping up to be a commercial drone delivery race reported the Business Daily.
Drone approval in Kenya
At the beginning of the month of April 2021 the Civil Aviation unmanned Aircraft Systems Regulations 2019 act was approved, giving a green light to drone owners to operate freely without fear of breaking the law.
However those who are interested in running drones have to do so on conditions that they must follow registration and licencing considerations. People seeking to import or export drones must be authorised by Kenya Civil Aviation Authority KCAA. And people or companies intending to use drones for commercial applications must apply for a Remote Aircraft Operators Certificate from KCAA..
Both Partners expectations
Skyports’ beyond visual line of sight (SBVLOS) operational experience places the company in a unique position to support Kenya Airways, Skyports has obtained regulatory approvals to fly the UK’s first BVLOS medical drone deliveries for the National Health Service with operations currently under way similarly, Skyports operated the UK Royal Mail’s first drone parcel delivery in Scotland in December 2020.
Kenya also seek to lead the application of drone technology in the region. It will enable Kenya to offer training operation and traffic management services through its wholly owned subsidiary Fahari aviation reported ACW.
In the coming three months, the partnership aims to explore the commercial viability and impact of various medical, logistical and inspection use cases alongside Kenya’s leading public and private instructions. The target for the launch of the first drone delivery flights is Q3-Q4 2021.
Commenting on the collaboration, the chief executive officer at Kenya Airways Allan Lilavuka said: “The partnership with Skyports aligns with our purpose of the sustainable development of Africa as it will support our diversification plans into drone technology application. It will give us access to available equipment and established operations that will lay the foundation for the Kenyan and regional drone market through our drone and emerging aviation technology subsidiary, Fahari Aviation,”.
On the other hand the chief executive officer at Skyports, Duncan Walker, said: “Our partnership with Kenya Airways can unlock significant opportunities for drone deliveries and inspections in Kenya, creating time and cost savings for our customers and contribute to the growth of the country’s tech and aviation ecosystem. This important partnership underscores Skyports’ tech-agnostic operator approach’s growth potential as a flexible offering suitable to various global market requirements. We look forward to working with Kenya Airways and further demonstrate the viability of AAM in different geographies,”
Jude Kimeu, business man, expressed his happiness to Africa-Press saying that the launch of drones will help many Kenyans to get health services like medicine on time, most especially those who live in outreach areas because it has been very expensive for some health workers to reach those areas in time.
Other drone firms to operate in Kenya
Several firms announced that they will also operate their unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Kenya, among them Astral Aviation, which is targeting the use of the UAVs in traffic management, training of drone pilots and mapping activities, and Adriana and Drone Space, which have been licensed by KCAA.
