Uhuru Unveils New Unit to Manage All Government Aircraft

President Kenyatta has inaugurated the National Air Support Department (NASD) at Wilson Airport in Nairobi.

NASD is a multi-agency unit within the Defense Ministry tasked with coordinating the country’s national air response services. 

The new entity brings together all government air assets with a view of enhancing efficiency in the delivery of aviation services.

“This reform initiative was necessitated by the compelling need to foster effectiveness in the management of the national aviation assets; with a view to optimize on safety, efficiency and improved availability of aircraft,” Uhuru said during the launch.

A fleet of 36 aircraft previously operated by various State agencies including the National Police Air Wing, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO), the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Power, among others, will be manned by a team of 273 NASD personnel. 

Kenyatta said NASD will help in generating revenue to supplement public funding by providing equipment maintenance services to private sector aircraft operators in addition to promoting aviation safety and reliability across the country and the region.

He noted that lack of proper maintenance of aviation equipment in the past resulted in tragedies that claimed the lives of citizens among them prominent leaders. This is what has prompted his administration to adopt a coordinated approach in the management of the country’s aviation assets.