The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has issued an advisory on retrieving items left onboard aircraft or at airports following a viral video involving a passenger seeking to retrieve a mobile phone reportedly left on an aircraft at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).In a statement on Tuesday, September 15, KAA said passengers collecting items left on board will, going forward, be required to identify themselves before items are released to them.According to the authority, the passengers will also be required to complete other relevant documentation for security and accountability purposes and to ensure that the property is handed to the rightful owner."For security and accountability, passengers collecting items left onboard aircraft may be required to provide identification and complete the relevant documentation before an item can be released. These procedures are intended to ensure that recovered property is handed over to its rightful owner," KAA stated.The advisory comes after a video circulated on social media showing a passenger attempting to recover the phone after arriving at JKIA.In the viral video, the airport worker is seen in a confrontation with a customer who allegedly left her phone on board.The officer can be heard saying that she must present an original ID and sign before being handed over the phone. The woman, on the other hand, was captured lamenting why she cannot hand over her phone.However, KAA has made it clear that passengers collecting items left onboard an aircraft may be required to provide identification, including ID cards and other relevant documents.The authority further encouraged passengers who leave belongings onboard an aircraft or within the airport to seek assistance from airline or airport customer service teams and cooperate with applicable verification procedures."We encourage passengers to cooperate with the applicable verification procedures and to seek assistance from airline or airport customer service teams whenever clarification is required," it added.In the viral video, the authority clarified that the interaction captured in the video involved airline personnel and not its staff, dismissing reports that its officer was involved in the incident."We wish to clarify that the interaction captured in the video involved airline personnel and not KAA staff. However, KAA recognises that passengers experience the airport as one journey and, together with our aviation partners, we remain committed to ensuring that such interactions are handled professionally and with due consideration to the customer experience," KAA added.The authority said it has engaged the airline involved and is working with relevant aviation stakeholders to strengthen passenger awareness of procedures for recovering misplaced belongings."KAA has engaged the airline concerned and, together with relevant aviation stakeholders, is strengthening passenger awareness on the procedures to follow when belongings are left onboard an aircraft or within the airport," the authority said.
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