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{
    "id": 1111172,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1111172/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 259,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this ratification of the Agreement amending the Air Transport Agreement between Kenya and the United States of America. Basically, just to mention that these Bilateral Air Service Agreements, or as they are called BASA in local lingo within the transport industry, have been around for almost as long as flying has been taking place. As flying became more popular over time and airlines expanded their service, it became necessary to have some rules, regulations and agreements to avoid some unfair competition because you would find that the big airlines would stifle the growth of small airlines in the absence of those bilateral agreements. Basically they are written to protect the various flag carriers from the two nations or the reciprocating nations and generally will involve lots of consultation. If you look at even the Report of the Committee, you will see the various bodies that were involved in the negotiation, even for the three amendments. All the various stakeholders in the airline industry were involved. The main agreement itself takes bigger groups and nations. There is the whole issue of diplomacy to actually get there. If you notice from the time that the Bilateral Air Service Agreement was signed in 2008, it took another so many years to get the first airline in terms of having a direct flight from Kenya to the US because of all the things that needed to be done. At least, we now know we have direct connections. Again, going back to history, sometime in 1944, the Convention on Civil Aviation was signed in Chicago and became the Chicago Convention. That is what created the organisation that oversees all matters to do with civil aviation from a multilateral perspective. This organisation is now the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). I had the opportunity to attend several of its meetings. When I was Minister for Transport, Kenya was highly regarded both within the ICAO and also within the International Maritime Organisation, which does regulation of the sea traffic. So, all these Bilateral Air Service Agreements are now created within this framework of the Chicago Convention and coming closer home within Africa, there is something that was called the Yamoussoukro Decision for countries within Africa that also created how air spaces would be sorted out, how bilateral issues will be sorted out and the reciprocity issues within Africa. However, the long and short of it is the Bilateral Air Service Agreement between Kenya and the other countries that enables our flag carrier, which is mainly Kenya Airways, to provide scheduled air services and to expand the existing route network, which is critical; especially now with the shrinking of the routes globally because of restriction of travel due to COVID-19. On the other hand, it also works on the reciprocity of what happens to other airlines. I really do not want to belabour the point. The Chair has done great work. Thanks to the Committee for looking through this. Thanks to all the stakeholders. The fact that even when there was an advertisement for public"
}