This is when the final audit by American regulators to give the green light to the country's airports will be conducted.

Direct flights are subject to attaining a category 1 status in line with the recommendations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States.

Kenya Civil Aviation Board chairman Samuel Poghisio said on Tuesday he was confident Kenya would hit the 80 per cent mark specified by the FAA.

"During the last audit in April we came very close to 80 per cent mark we expect to meet all requirements after the final audit in October," he said.

Kenya has passed the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit with a score of 78.42 per cent (up from 66 per cent in 2013), placing it among the top quartile of states globally and among the top four in Africa.

Mr Poghisio was speaking at the meeting of 29 global Aviation Security Training Centres (ASTC) in Nairobi to improve security training at the East African School of Aviation.

Kenya hosts an ASTC directorate, the third in Africa outside South Africa and Ethiopia.

AVIATION LAWS APPROVED

Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) acting Director-General Joseph Chebungei has, however, indicated that the long-awaited direct flights from Kenya to the United States could take off by August subject to parliamentary approval of reviewed aviation laws.

Parliament has to pass changes in the Civil Aviation Act of 2013 including the establishment and realignment of an aviation tribunal, enhanced staff capacity, especially of aviation inspectors, and amendments to allow Kenyan-registered aircraft to be similarly regulated in other nations, as the KCAA does.

Acting Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia's speech, read by Director of Air Transport Nicholas Bodo, stressed the need to enhance surveillance and screening at Kenyan airports.

Mr Macharia noted that Kenya had spent Sh1.5 billion in the past 10 years to improve facilities and capacity.

Fifty per cent of the money has gone to infrastructure, 20per cent has gone to setting up training facilities and equipment while 30 per cent has been used to develop instructors.

The Nairobi ASTC has trained personnel from all over Africa, including Burundi (16 officers) and Sierra Leone (20 officers.) An instructor was also posted to Nigeria for three months.

Kenya is working with Johannesburg in compiling an instructor database and collecting information from states to make air travel safer.

RANKED FIFTH

Kenya is ranked fifth in Africa on safety-compliance levels-behind Gambia, Mauritania, South Africa and Egypt.

Mr Poghisio took the opportunity to urge the international airline representatives to assure their clients of safety in the country.

Kenya's aviation industry, especially Moi International Airport, has been hit by travel advisories over security fears.

The country's aviation authority is targeting the FAA IASA Category 1 this year to open up business and trade opportunities, which stood at about Sh184 billion last year, using direct flights.