Kenya Airways Banned From Flying to Tanzania in Tit-for-Tat

Tanzania has nullified the approval of Kenya Airways flights in the country in what it described as ‘a reciprocal basis’.

In a letter to the Manager Flight Operations Engineering, Kenya Airways, the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority said it “regrets’ the decision.

“The Authority regrets to inform you that on a reciprocal basis, the Tanzanian Government has decided to nullify its approval for the Kenya Airways flights between Nairobi and Dar/ Kilimanjaro/ Zanzibar effective August 2020 until further notice.”

Hamza Johari, TCAA Director-General added that the Government also rescinded all its previous arrangements that permit KQ flights into Tanzania.

Kenya Airway will resume international passenger flights Saturday. Part of the destination was Dar es Salaam which the airline will be forced to cancel.

Other destinations it will be flying are London, Dubai, Addis Ababa, Kigali, and Lusaka. 

In a statement, KQ had said it will gradually increase its network to 30 destinations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

“Based on demand and other factors, resumption of services to other destinations around the globe will occur,” it said in a statement.

The Airline plans to start operations to USA, China and Thailand from October 2020. “These destinations require the bulk of the network to open up so as to sustain adequate traffic on the routes.”

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Tanzania’s decision is as a result of Kenya not clearing it for international flights into the country.

Those cleared, “have mild or limited community transmission or declining incidences,” according to the Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia.

Tanzania reopened its airspace to both scheduled and non-scheduled international flights on May 19.

President John Magufuli declared the country “coronavirus-free”  despite concerns from the World Health Organisation over its strategy on Covid-19.

The country’s last verified data on 29 April, showed it had 509 cases, with 21 deaths.

Tanzania’s decision goes against the Tripartite Guidelines for the Movement of Persons, Goods and Services across the Tripartite Region during COVID-19 Pandemic. 

The guidelines have been harmonised with COMESA, the East African Community and the Southern Africa Development Community into one and applied across 28 Member States.

They include the COMESA-Guidelines for Movement of Goods and Services across the COMESA Region during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the EACAdministrative Guidelines to Facilitate Movement of Goods and Services during COVID-19 Pandemic; and the SADC-Guidelines on Harmonization and Facilitation of Cross-Border Transport Operations across the Region during the COVID-19 Pandemic.