The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has issued a notice banning new registration and operation of all Fokker 27 and Fokker 50 aircraft within Kenyan airspace. Beginning November 1, 2025, anyone operating the said aircraft will be breaking the law.
In the memo seen by Moshek Africa and dated October 1, 2025, KCAA cited safety concerns as the main reason for the ban. The memo was issued to all aviation companies after consultation with all stakeholders.
“No new applications for type acceptance, registration, or Certificate of Airworthiness issuance for the above aircraft types shall be processed.” Read the notice in part.
However, KCAA said that aviation companies who already own registered aircraft with all approved licenses will not be affected until they seek new licences or when their aircrafts get grounded.
Also exempted from the ban are foreign Fokker 27 and Fokker 50 that are registered outside Kenya, provided they are overflying the airspace or conducting ‘technical scope’. Such aircraft will however have to meet the strict safety measures stipulated by regulators.
The list of aircraft banned by KCAA in the notice are F27 Mark 050, F27 Mark 100, F27 Mark 200, F27 Mark 300, F27 Mark 400, F27 Mark 500, F27 Mar 0502, F27 Mar 600, F27 Mark 0602, and F27 Mark 700.
The Fokker aircraft manufacturer was founded by Anthony Fokker in the Netherlands ceased operations in 1996 after declaring bankruptcy. Various divisions of the company pivoted into other businesses after failed acquisitions by other aircraft manufacturers such as Bombardier.
Acquiring key parts for maintaining the Fokker aircraft has therefore become a major challenge giving rise to safety concerns.
One of the most recognizable Fokker aircrafts in the Kenyan airspace is the presidential jet dubbed Harambee One, a Fokker 70 ER. The aeroplane has served four presidents as of 2025, having flown for the past 30 years as at the time of writing this article.
It is not yet clear whether the Kenyan presidential Fokker jet will be retired, but it won’t be surprising to see it grounded soon.
Air safety has been a going concern for the international air transporters association and topped the agenda at the IATA conference 2025 in Toronto, Canada. The KCAA ban comes just two days after an aircraft from a different aeroplane manufacturer crashed en route to the Maasai Mara killing all 12 people on board. Investigations on the cause of the accident continue even as the country has been experiencing adverse weather conditions and lots of rain.
Feature Photo Credit: Oleg Volkov (A Fokker 100 aircraft belonging to Greenland Express at the Lviv Airport, Ukraine)
