Despite Kenya Airways sending a notice to agents and customer last week, informing them of the resumption of the Nairobi-London route from May 22, and opening bookings from that date, it has emerged that the ban on flights between the two countries has actually been extended by another month and the flights have not resumed.
Travel News has heard the ban is extended until June 14.
The reports of resumption initially raised optimism for a revival of the UK summer peak season into East Africa, but those hopes are now dashed.
The carrier had planned to resume the flights after more than a month’s suspension, following UK government’s ban on flights from Kenya to the UK. A retaliatory reciprocal ban was imposed by Kenya on all flights from the UK on April 9.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) then said the ban on passenger flights on the Nairobi-London route would remain in force until June 5. “The suspension of flights between Kenya and UK is still on. We have extended the Notice to the Airmen (NOTAM) by another month,” said KCAA director-general Gilbert Kibe.
Kenya is still on the UK’s ‘Red List’, which means that arrivals from Kenya, or those who have been in Kenya in the 10 days prior to departure for the UK, have to quarantine in a pre-booked managed quarantine hotel for 10 days on arrival. Additionally, the UK discourages its citizens and residents from travelling to red-list countries. Even transiting through a red-list country can land travellers in quarantine, if they have mixed with new boarding passengers.
Likewise, Kenya has also directed all non-citizens coming from the UK to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival, something that Kenyan media say will dampen the enthusiasm of potential UK tourists ahead of the summer holidays. The UK is Kenya’s fourth largest tourism market.
The Business Daily reports that in April the two Foreign Affairs Secretaries for Kenya and UK said a joint committee would review the travel restrictions, which threatened bilateral trade, economic and security relations.
Just yesterday afternoon the airline sent out a new notice to agents and customers withdrawing the first communication and saying the flights remained suspended until further notice.
