This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
Kenya is set to resume domestic and international flights as the country prepares to reopen its airspace. The move comes after three months of suspension of all travels in and out of the country.
Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia announced that airlines will not have to drastically reduce passenger capacity to observe social distancing rules. According to Macharia, if airlines carry less than 75% of their capacity, they would incur losses.
‘The passengers must go with a Covid-19 free certificate. I would expect that if you are flying out, it would be prudent for you to be tested because you may not be allowed into other countries,’ Macharia said during a press briefing on Wednesday at Transcom House in Nairobi.
Additionally, Macharia said an exception would be made for passengers who have to catch a late-night flight. ‘If you are flying at night and you show the boarding pass/ticket, you will be allowed to go to the airport with your driver,’ he said.
Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer Allan Kilavuka had earlier indicated that air travel would completely change as every country comes up with new plans and policies to be adapted post-coronavirus. Kilavuka noted that 55 to 65% of people travel for leisure, which means between May and December airlines are missing out on this big business and income.
‘Travel is not going to be cheap. 55-65% of people travel for leisure. Therefore we are going to lose 51-76% of our market between now and December as business travellers are the ones that are going to travel first,’ Kilavuka said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had earlier announced that all international flights shall resume from August 1, while local flights will resume from July 15 under strict guidelines.
