The Effect Of Civil Aviation Regulations On The Growth Of The Domestic Airline Industry In Kenya

ABSTRACT

The domestic airlines in Kenya have experienced considerable growth in the last few years despite increased competition from other regional and international carriers. With the current change in the regulatory framework the study sought to examine the effect of civil aviation regulations on the growth of the domestic airline industry. The study specifically examined the effect of operation of aircraft regulations, personnel licencing regulations, air operator and administration regulations as well as the RPAS regulations. The unit of analysis was the 67 domestic airline firms in Kenya. The unit of observation was the Chief Finance Officer or Operations Manager within each domestic airline firm. The research also employed the use of both primary and secondary data. The primary data was collected from a semi-structured questionnaire while secondary data was collected from aviation industry reports and journals. The collected research data was analyzed using descriptive, inferential and content analysis. The study employed means, standard deviation, correlation analysis and regression analysis. The results of the analysis were presented using bar graphs, charts, figures and tables. The findings of the regression analysis indicated that civil aviation regulations had a positive association with the growth of the domestic airline industry. The study concludes that meeting operation of aircraft regulations, personnel licencing regulations, air operator and administration requirements are key to fostering the growth of the domestic airline industry in Kenya. The research recommends that the aviation firms should invest in modern aircraft to reduce maintenance cost; enhance employee training and recruitment as well as expand their safety and aviation security measures. The findings of the study are expected to foster policy and practice within the domestic airline industry. The study suggests that further research should be conducted to examine the potential drivers for economic exploitation of drones in the country.