Licenses will be withdrawn and hefty fines imposed on helicopter operators who will be found endangering the lives of people in public rallies, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has warned.
The agency’s Director-General Gilbert Kibe issued the warning following what he described as “serious concerns in the manner in which helicopter operations are undertaken outside controlled aerodromes”.
At the beginning of April, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s chopper came under attack in Uasin Gishu.
“Members of the public have also been seen to approach the aircraft landing and take-off sites unaware of the danger they expose themselves to”, he said.
In March, two Bungoma men were seen hanging on a flying helicopter.
In 2017, a man in Meru County hang on a chopper belonging to Odinga as it took off.
The provision to adhere to regulations and Standard Operating Procedures is expected to avert incidents where choppers are stoned or destroyed.
