Astral Aviation (8V, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) has put its plans to launch the first Kenyan unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) academy on hold as lawmakers did not adopt a law that would legalise drones in the country, Business Daily has reported.
"The move by MPs has had a negative effect on the budding industry as everything has come to a standstill due to the lack of clarity on the status of the law. Companies founded on the regulations already have operational capabilities but are now incurring losses due to the hold," Astral Aviation CEO Sanjeev Gadhia said.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said it will now work with the lawmakers on a hasty adoption of the law.
Kenya's National Security Advisory Committee greenlighted the use of UAVs in the country in February 2017 already. The regulation was later signed by the attorney general but its entry into force was subject to the parliamentary approval. The MPs have said that the KCAA failed to consider all safety and security implications of the change.
Drones are currently banned from private or commercial use in Kenya. The law, once adopted, would allow their use for entertainment, film- and photo-shooting, relief services, sports, and other commercial purposes.
Currently, South Africa and Rwanda are the only two countries on the continent to have any drone regulations in place. South Africa also hosts Africa's only UAV school.
Astral Aviation, which aims to establish Kenya's first drone training centre, is a well-established cargo specialist which operates a single B727-200(F), a B747-400(F) (wet-leased from Air Atlanta Icelandic), and one DC-9-30(F).
