Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen has reiterated the government’s pledge to develop air cargo business in the country to boost the aviation industry amid global economic turmoil.

Murkomen was speaking when he officially opened The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) Event Africa hosted in Nairobi by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority to discuss the future of air cargo for the next three days.

The CS acknowledged the importance of effective communication with stakeholders for his ministry to establish and maintain the best optimized policy and regulatory frameworks.

Murkomen lauded TIACA’s comprehensive membership and touted it as an ideal partner for the government of Kenya to engage in matter concerning air cargo.

He noted that the development of air cargo presents great socioeconomic transformation prospects for Kenya and the larger East African Community.

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The CS promised the government will provide a conducive environment for the sustainable growth of air cargo and encourage more Public-Private Partnerships in the aviation sector.

He revealed the Government is in the final stages of formulating a new aviation policy incorporating the key roles of various stakeholders in the growth of the significant sector.

Murkomen added that the Government recognizes that aviation and air cargo businesses are pertinent drivers of socio-economic transformation in the country and the region.

“The Ministry of Roads and Transport sees aviation and more so air cargo as one of the key drivers of socio-economic transformation in Kenya and indeed the region,” Murkomen said.

“The Government of Kenya is therefore committed to providing a robust and well-structured enabling environment for the sustainable growth of air cargo,” added Murkomen.

He noted that the revised aviation policy will lay the groundwork for reinvigoration and orderly growth of aviation and the revival of many smaller airports around the country.

“The Government is open and ready for more and bigger Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the aviation sector,” the CS intimated.

Kenya’s air cargo management infrastructure at JKIA is vivid evidence of how PPP has enabled the government to establish a thriving competitive value proposition for end-users.

However, despite the success JKIA has realized in the establishment of air cargo infrastructure, airport located outside Nairobi are still in their unenviable infancy stage.

The CS has however expressed optimism that the insights gained from the ongoing TIACA event will be useful in developing and implementing best practices in the local context.

On his part, Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) Board Chairman Caleb Kositany called for increased cooperation among cargo stakeholders to achieve synergy in the airfreight logistics value chains.

Kositany noted that air cargo routes provide African countries with quick and efficient access to worldwide supply chains, markets, and destinations throughout the continent.

“The need for cooperation in aligning policy and regulatory frameworks to achieve synergy among cargo stakeholders is paramount. Air cargo routes provide African countries with quick and efficient access to worldwide supply chains and markets and destinations throughout the continent,” said Kositany.