This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
On July 6, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the phased reopening of Kenya, allowing domestic and international air travel to resume after a three-month lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Domestic flights will resume on July 15, while international travel is scheduled to restart on August 1, in strict conformity with all applicable guidelines and protocols from both the Ministry of Health, local and international civil aviation authorities, and any additional requirements applicable at the ports of departure, arrival or transit.
The lockdown, which was announced in March, had a devastating impact on the local airline industry, with passenger numbers plummeting from 55,000 in March to a paltry 14,300 in April, according to data from the Kenya Airports Authority.
Aviation workers were rendered jobless, sent on unpaid leave, or endured salary cuts, while travel agents were forced to close businesses after travellers cancelled bookings.
However, the nationwide 9pm to 4am curfew has been extended for a further 30 days.
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) director-general Gilbert Kibe said flying with the middle row seats empty will be unsustainable, and airlines plan to combat the spread of the virus by pushing for other measures such as use of face masks, pre-flight screening, and sanitising cabins to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.
The President has, however, called for caution on the phased re-opening, warning that should coronavirus cases surge, the lockdown will be reinstated.
“Should the situation deteriorate and pose a challenge to our health infrastructure, it shall be ‘clawed back’. In the next 21 days, we shall study patterns of interactions and the spread of the disease. Any trends that signal a worsening of the pandemic, we will have no choice but to return to the lock-down at zero-option,” he said.
