Human trafficking is a major transnational challenge and a grave violation of human rights. Traffickers often exploit commercial aviation to transport their victims across borders undetected. Air transport enables the safe and efficient movement of people; the aviation community carries a responsibility to protect vulnerable travellers from exploitation.
Recognizing this, Kenya Airways has taken decisive steps to align with ICAO’s Strategic Objective on Security and Facilitation, specifically ICAO’s efforts to combat human trafficking through aviation channels. Our work reflects the growing commitment of airlines, regulators, and international partners to strengthen the protective capabilities of the global air transport system. Kenya Airways is proud to be at the forefront of this fight, aligning our strategies with the standards and recommended practices of ICAO, including Doc 10171: Manual on a Comprehensive Strategy for Combating Human Trafficking in the Aviation Sector and recent amendments to Annex 9 — Facilitation.
In March 2023, Kenya Airways became the first airline in Africa to adopt a dedicated Counter Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) Policy (shared at the bottom of this article). Developed in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), this policy integrates counter-trafficking measures across our operational, training, and governance frameworks.
This policy fully aligns with ICAO’s recommended practices, which call on States and air operators to establish formal mechanisms to detect, prevent, and respond to trafficking in persons via air transport. It includes:
- Institutional training for frontline staff
- Reporting and escalation protocols
- Victim-sensitive response procedures
- Inter-agency cooperation and stakeholder engagement
Influencing global aviation standards
Kenya Airways’ leadership was demonstrated during a high-level meeting in Vienna in January 2024, where we engaged with senior officials from UNODC and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Our model was presented as a best-practice framework for airlines seeking to operationalize anti-trafficking efforts.
Following this, at the ICAO Facilitation Panel held in Montreal from 26 February to 1 March 2024, Kenya Airways’ recommendations contributed to the adoption of a new resolution mandating that all airlines develop and implement CTIP policies. This milestone reflects the evolution of ICAO provisions and reinforces the aviation sector’s commitment to human rights, passenger safety, and global cooperation.
Strengthening international partnerships
As ICAO emphasizes in its “Four Ps” framework: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnership, the fight against trafficking requires coordinated, multi-sectoral collaboration.
In June 2024, Kenya Airways signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the first of its kind between IOM and an airline. The MoU outlines cooperation in:
- Victim identification and protection
- Staff training and capacity-building
- Humanitarian assistance and repatriation logistics
Moreover, Kenya Airways remains an active signatory of the SkyTeam Anti-Human Trafficking Declaration, uniting with 18 member airlines to establish industry-wide protocols for awareness, detection, and intervention.
Kenya Airways’ operational leadership was internationally recognized at the Behavioural Analysis Conference 2025 in Minneapolis, USA, where we were the only airline invited to present our aviation-integrated CTIP model alongside an inspirational group of professionals.
Operational action and measurable impact
Between February and April 2025, Kenya Airways, in collaboration with Awareness Against Human Trafficking (HAART) Kenya, the Ministry of Foreign & Diaspora Affairs, the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Secretariat, and law enforcement agencies, coordinated the safe repatriation of 158 victims trafficked to Myanmar. This operation highlights how commercial air transport can serve humanitarian objectives.
Building on this success, on 25 July 2025, we launched the first airline-led repatriation program to assist survivors trafficked from Southeast Asia to East Africa. Through fare subsidies and logistical support, we transformed our operational infrastructure into a platform for victim recovery and reintegration.
In support of our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives, Kenya Airways also contributes to survivor recovery through donations of repurposed Business Class blankets to shelters and NGOs – a small gesture with meaningful impact.
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Kenya Airways has made significant investments in human capacity development, ensuring our personnel are well-equipped to identify and report trafficking in line with ICAO guidance. We are among the few airlines globally and the only one in Africa with certified Trainers on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants.
Additionally, in partnership with UONDC, IOM and CIVIPOL, under the Better Migration Management (BMM) Programme funded by the European Union (EU) and Germany, Counter Trafficking in Persons Secretariat, Office of the Director Public Prosecution (ODPP) provided training to Kenya Airways (KQ) employees from travel document, rapid response, passenger services, investigation, aviation security trainers, cargo security, and security standards teams. This revolved around identifying, protecting, and referring victims of trafficking (VoTs) they might encounter while performing their duties.
These capacity-building efforts have resulted in the successful identification of multiple trafficking incidents, allowing for timely intervention and coordination with relevant authorities.
Promoting integrity and accountability
In December 2024, Kenya Airways took firm disciplinary action following the conviction of two employees involved in trafficking. Both individuals were terminated and sentenced to 32 years in prison. This case reaffirmed our zero-tolerance policy and demonstrated our unwavering commitment to internal accountability and ICAO’s call for industry transparency.
Advancing ICAO’s Strategic Objectives
Kenya Airways’ initiatives support ICAO’s Strategic Objective on Security and Facilitation, which calls for secure, seamless, and rights-respecting travel systems. By aligning our programs with ICAO’s training guidelines, reporting standards, and collaborative frameworks, we reinforce aviation’s role as both a safeguard and a solution.
Looking ahead: A collective call to action
The complexity of human trafficking demands a whole-of-system response. ICAO’s “Four Ps” model—Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnership, remains our guiding framework as we scale our CTIP efforts.
As we move forward, Kenya Airways is committed to:
- Deepening staff training programmes
- Expanding inter-agency partnerships
- Advocating for policy development at the global level
- Supporting survivors through integrated assistance
We urge our aviation partners to join this movement, not just in spirit, but in operational reality. Airlines must not only fly across borders; they must also help protect those most vulnerable within them.
Together, with ICAO’s leadership, we can ensure the aviation industry remains a powerful force for security, dignity, and human rights.
Adelaide Amaro is an accomplished aviation security professional with more than 30 years of experience and serves as Manager of Quality Control & Integrity within the Kenya Airways Security Department. She leads Kenya Airways’ Anti-Human Trafficking initiative and represents the airline in the SkyTeam Working Group on Anti-Human Trafficking.
Kenya Airways is a leading African airline operating 42 destinations worldwide, including 35 within Africa, and carrying more than four million passengers annually.