A collage of the Communications Authority and Kenya Civil Aviation Authority HQs/FILE

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The Communication Authority (CA) says its now synchronizing radio licences obtained by aircraft operators with the certificate of airworthiness granted by the civil aviation regulator.

CA says its working with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) to align issuance and renewal of licences for all airlines operating in the country.   

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By law, the CA manages the aviation radiofrequency spectrum by planning, allocating/assigning and issuing Aircraft Radio Licenses.

Consequently, the Authority says it will depart from the June 30th annual expiry date and grant a 30-day temporary licence to give aviation industry players an opportunity to align them with the Certificate of Airworthiness (COA).

“In our continued effort to enhance safety compliance in the aviation sector, the Authority, in collaboration with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), wishes to notify all aircraft operators of a change in the licensing cycle,” CA said in a public notice appearing on today’s MyGov publication.

It added; “Effective July 1st, 2026, the Communications Authority of Kenya will be transitioning from the fixed June 30th annual expiry of the Aircraft Radio Licenses to a system where the Aircraft Radio License duration will be synchronised with the validity period of the Certificate of Airworthiness (COA) issued by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.”

According to CA Director General David Mugonyi, to ensure a seamless transition without a lapse in regulatory compliance, transitional Licensing (Post-June 30th, 2026) - upon the expiry of current licences on June 30th, 2026 and the settlement of the requisite annual fees, the Authority will issue an initial licence.

“This licence will be valid until 30 days after the expiry date of the current COA. This one-time 30-day grace period is intended to allow operators sufficient time to renew their COA with KCAA before applying for the aligned aircraft radio licence," Mugonyi said.

On alignment and issuance of a 12-month licence, CA says once the renewed COA is submitted to the Authority, a new Aircraft Radio License will be issued for 12 months and will be aligned to the COA’s validity period.

“As this alignment occurs within the same financial year, no additional frequency fees will be levied for this second issuance.”

For future renewal cycles, the Authority says following this one-time alignment, all Aircraft Radio Licenses will thereafter operate on a standard 12-month renewal cycle, aligned to the validity of the respective COA, with a built-in 30-day buffer to accommodate timely and orderly renewal.

“This additional month will provide sufficient time for the aircraft operators to renew their COA without creating compliance gaps,” the notice adds.

The regulator said operators are reminded that applications for renewal must be accompanied by; a valid Certificate of Airworthiness (COA) issued by KCAA, a valid Radio Survey Report, issued by KCAA and proof of payment of the prescribed annual licence fees.

“This initiative is aimed at ensuring that aircraft operators maintain valid documentation across both regulatory bodies simultaneously,” Mugonyi says.