American Security agencies will on Monday conduct an audit of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to determine the fate of direct flights between Nairobi and New York scheduled for October.
The agency’s officials drawn from Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will embark on a five-day audit of the airport until Friday where if all is well, JKIA will get the Last Point of Departure (LDP) status.
The aim of the audit is to verify if Kenya has addressed issues raised by TSA last year in regard to security in readiness to start direct flights from Nairobi to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
In light of the audit, Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) managing director Jonny Andersen requested to be excused from Parliamentary sessions this week until the audit by TSA officials is complete.
“This will allow us to prepare to host the US team that is coming to assess the entire airport. We will have staff available to help in the audit,” the KAA MD told Parliament’s Public Investment Committee as quoted by Business Daily.
Andersen told the committee that KAA has addressed all issues raised by TSA and hopes JKIA passes the test to get the final word on commencing the direct flight to New York on October 28.
TSA had recommended a tighter security system with a proper perimeter fence and consistency at the security screening yard.
Hitherto, at JKIA’s screening yard, regular police and the General Service Unit officers are doing the screening. Earlier, National Youth Service personnel had been deployed to security desks but this has been changed.
Once Kenya Airways (KQ) bags the Last Point of Departure (LDP) status, it will be allowed, together with other airlines approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to fly directly to the US from Nairobi.
FAA will also grant KQ an Air Operator Certificate after inspecting the carrier’s equipment and facilities.
The maiden and consecutive flights on October 28 will cut flight time between Nairobi and New York by seven hours giving it a total flight time of 15 hours.
The national carrier’s trans-Atlantic flight is scheduled to depart JKIA at 10:30 pm every day.