The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has extended the validity period of aircraft certificates of airworthiness from one year to two years, citing a shortage of safety inspectors and the growing number of aircraft operating in the country.
The regulator said the change is aimed at easing pressure on its inspection teams while ensuring continued oversight of Kenya’s expanding aviation sector.
Under the new arrangement, aircraft owners will be required to renew certificates of airworthiness every two years instead of annually.
KCAA said the decision was necessitated by limited manpower, which has made it increasingly difficult to keep pace with the rising demand for inspection and certification services.
The authority noted that the number of aircraft registered in Kenya has increased steadily, rising from 735 in 2020 to 782 in 2025, representing a growth of nearly eight percent over the five-year period.
KCAA projects that the country’s aircraft fleet will expand further to about 1,000 aircraft within the next four years, a trend expected to place additional pressure on inspection and certification services.
The regulator said extending the validity period of airworthiness certificates will help optimize the use of available inspection resources while maintaining aviation safety standards as the industry continues to grow.
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