KCAA grants licences to 32 air operators for various routes

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) recently issued licenses to 32 air operators, out of 34 that initially applied, for various routes. Tanzanian Air Services Limited, operating Tanzanair, received a two-year license for international non-scheduled air service between Tanzania and Kenya, beginning February 12, 2026. The carrier will utilize three aircraft from its hub in Dar es Salaam.

Six Tanzanian air operators applied for international non-scheduled air service licenses for cargo and passengers, but Saudia, Saudi Arabia's first flag carrier, was only granted a license for the Jeddah-Nairobi-Moscow route, excluding other African routes. KCAA Acting Director General, Nicholas Bodo, announced the grants in a gazette notice, specifying that the license granted Tanzanair had a two-year validity starting January 14, 2026, without traffic rights between Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, N'djamena, Lagos, Kano, Khartoum, Niamey, Entebbe, Eldoret, and Nairobi.

Jambojet and Freedom Airline Express Limited also received licenses for operating domestic and international non-scheduled air services, respectively. Jambojet's one-year license began on July 29, 2026, while Freedom Airline Express Limited received a three-year license starting April 26, 2026. Aerospace Consortium Limited, however, was denied a license to operate passenger, cargo, and mail air services on 15 of 16 international and domestic routes, only receiving a one-year license for cargo and mail services between JKIA and Juba, effective July 29, 2026.