This archive report was first published on 2 July 2020.
Kenya Airways, the country's national carrier, is poised to resume flights as soon as the government lifts travel restrictions. This was revealed by the airline's CEO, Michael Joseph, in a recent statement.
According to Joseph, the airline has been ready to take to the skies again, but is waiting for the government to ease travel restrictions. He emphasized that the country needs to fly and that the airline is prepared to start flying as soon as the Head of State lifts the restrictions.
Kenya Airways has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the airline losing 10 billion shillings due to travel restrictions. The airline's officials have warned that if flights are grounded for the rest of the year, the losses could hit 50 billion shillings.
During the annual general meeting last week, officials told shareholders that the airline is optimistic that the government will ease travel restrictions next month. However, they called on authorities not to impose social distancing requirements, citing that it would make air tickets very expensive.
