This archive report was first published on 4 September 2019.
On September 4, 2019, Kenya Airways announced it was withdrawing its proposal to manage Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), a move that comes after the airline's nationalisation.
The decision was made following a board meeting on August 27, 2019, where the airline's board decided to formally withdraw the proposal from the Kenya Airports Authority and the Public-Private Partnership Committee.
Kenya Airways had proposed the formation of a subsidiary to manage JKIA operations for 30 years, but the plan was met with opposition from some of its staff, who went on strike in protest.
Earlier in the year, the government had backtracked on plans for a partnership with the airline, and in July, the National Assembly adopted a report recommending the nationalisation of Kenya Airways and the creation of an Aviation Holding Company.
According to Kenya Airways, a team is working on a Bill to provide guidelines for the nationalisation process, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament soon.
Kenya Airways had proposed the creation of a special purpose vehicle to operate, maintain, and develop JKIA, but the plan did not take off.
Instead, the National Assembly's Transport committee recommended the establishment of a holding company with four subsidiaries, including KAA, KQ, JKIA, and a centralised Aviation Services College.
