The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) is set to auction 101 aircraft abandoned in various airports around the country.
KAA declared the planes a safety risk and gave their owners a notice to claim them failure to which they will be sold off to recoup unpaid parking fees accumulated over time.
The State agency told Business Daily that delayed valuation of the airplanes has led to the withholding of prices. There is a legal requirement that bars the auction of seized property for prices below 75 percent of the prevailing market value, hence the need for a valuation.
“Work is still ongoing in which a pricing consultant is confirming the minimum price for the auction. Once all these processes are complete, we will officially publish the auction announcement,” KAA said.
The abandoned jets include those owned by wealthy individuals as well as aviation companies among them 748 Air Services, Silverstone, Jetlink, and Fly540. Others belong to State agencies including Kenya Police, Moi University, and Somalia Airforce.
17 of the planes are abandoned at JKIA, 64 at Wilson Airport while others are at Moi International Airport in Mombasa and Lokichoggio airstrip. Those abandoned at JKIA include a Sh2 billion Bombardier aircraft owned by Jetlink.
KAA charges Sh2,700 daily parking fees and Sh63,355 landing fees for large planes at JKIA while small aircraft pay Sh1,600 Sh24,150 respectively.
