Kenyan grounds passenger planes for illegally ferrying cargo

NAIROBI, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's aviation authorities on Thursday grounded two planes, belonging to local airlines, for illegally ferrying cargo to Somalia.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) director-general Gilbert Kibe confirmed withdrawal of the license for the two airlines which operate at a Nairobi airport.

Kibe said the airlines, which are licensed to carry passengers, had removed seats on the aircraft to create space for cargo.

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia told journalists the two planes were involved in illegal operations but did not name the airlines.

The move came as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is planning an audit in Kenya's capability in safety oversight.

The audit that will be carried out in July is a universal practice meant to assess the level of member states' compliance to the ICAO safety standards. Enditem