This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
Kenya Airways resumed domestic flights on July 15, 2020, marking a significant milestone in the country's efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
After a 99-day halt, the airline resumed operations with two inaugural flights from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi to Mombasa and Kisumu at 10am and 10.30am respectively.
However, the environment at airports and aboard aircraft has changed dramatically due to the drastic steps taken to prevent the spread of the disease.
Passengers are now required to wash and sanitise their hands several times from the main gate to the point of boarding planes, pass through temperature testing points, and wear masks all the time.
Additionally, sitting and queueing positions have been rearranged to ensure social distancing, with signs placed at different points to remind passengers to wear masks.
Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia led the inauguration of the resumption of flights and stated that the government would rely on the airline's performance to decide if it would resume international flights.
"It is up to the KQ management to ensure it uses this period to grow demand. If the performance of domestic flights will be poor, we may have to reschedule reopening of international flights," said Mr Macharia.
Kenya Airways Managing Director Allan Kilavuka expressed optimism about the demand for flights, citing that the second flight to Mombasa was fully booked.
