Protest over ‘risky’ hangar, land allocation at Wilson Airport

A new hangar at Wilson Airport has resulted in safety and security concerns by private operators in the busy facility.

A meeting of the operators noted that the hangar, operated by Kwale Island Development Limited (KIDL), is too close to the runway and could poses a risk to large planes.

KIDL has been a service provider to top politicians, including Deputy President William Ruto.

In 2016, the company was in the news as one of its pilots, Captain Alistair Patrick Llewelyn, who had flown Mr Ruto to a church fundraiser in Ndunyu Njeru, Nyandarua County, was caught on camera assaulting a police officer.

WATCHTOWER

On that day, Capt Llewelyn flew the DP in a helicopter.

He was charged in court and the company said it had terminated his contract.

However, the plot was back in the skies two months later. He took a picture with lawyer Donald Kipkorir whom he had flown to Naivasha using the aircraft registration.

The lawyer captioned one of the pictures: “My pilot, Alistair”.

The green tin-roofed hangar is opposite Aero Club of East Africa but under the flight path, putting landing aircraft at risk.

Unlike other hangars at Wilson, this one can be accessed from Langata Link Road on the Carnivore Restaurant side.

FUEL DEPOTS

A watchtower manned by officers from the General Service Unit is nearby.

“The reasons for building it there could be strategic; so that they benefit from the security,” an aviation operator at the airport told the Sunday Nation, regarding the watchtower.

A short distance from the hangar are fuel depots owned by Fine Jet and Gulf Energy.

The criteria Kenya Airports Authority used to allocate the property, including granting the operator private and exclusive access on the Carnivore Restaurant side instead of the main gate, has worsened matters.

Concerns about the haphazard allocation of KAA land within Wilson Airport came up during a July 31 meeting of the Kenya Association of Air Operators at Aero Club of East Africa.

Representatives from the KAA and Kenya Civil Aviation Authority attended.

POLICY DOCUMENTS

Under the subheading ‘Land use at Wilson Airport’, the operators accused KAA of taking them in circles on the criteria it had been using to allocate property to private developers.

“Despite numerous promises to share the extract of the policy document on allocation criteria, it is still pending. KAA promised to share it by the afternoon,” the draft minutes of the meeting state.

The meeting also requested KAA “to share the list of any recent allotments”.

KCAA Director-General Gilbert Kibe said he was unaware of operators’ concerns about the KIDL hangar.

Moreover, Mr Kibe said plot allocation is the business of KAA, not KCAA.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

He said, however, that he was aware KIDL “sought approval for construction from them (KAA)” and that “we (KCAA) gave them height approvals”.

“KAA is the owner and operator of our major airports. It has the mandate for allocation of property at their airports. KCAA gives height approvals based on safety of aircraft considerations, including vertical and lateral allowances. Safety and security were considered,” said Mr Kibe.

By the time of going to press, KAA had not responded to queries on phone and e-mail and reminders sent over the last two days had not been acted upon.

KIDL declined to comment after failing to respond to initial email communication. “Are you the reporter from the Sunday Nation who sent us questions?” an unidentified woman who answered our follow-up call asked.

MANAGER SACKED

“I have nothing to tell you”

An aviation operator at the airport told the Sunday Nation that the hangar has been a major issue. A security manager who raised questions about it and operations at the airport was sacked, sources said. Another senior manager was transferred for what the sources said was his position on various safety and security issues. Once again, KAA did not respond to queries.

The area where the hangar stands was leased from KAA under Build Occupy and Transfer (BOT) for an unknown number of years.

According to sources at the airport, KIDL was allocated the property around the time KAA did not have a substantive managing director — between 2015 and 2016.

JUMPED QUEUE

“No bids were invited and we, as operators, are not aware of any procurement process that was undertaken. The problem is there was a waiting list of 18 other operators who had applied to be allocated hangar space by KAA. Allocation is usually done on a first-come-first-served basis. None of them were considered. This other person jumped the queue and obtained approvals,” our source said.

KAA, KCAA and the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) all have to approve applications to set up any structure within the airport. KAA’s approval, however, is given subject to concurrence by the civil aviation regulator.

Wilson Airport has, over the years, been under immense pressure as private developers encroach on its land.