This archive report was first published on 4 August 2020.
Kenya Airways Resumes International Flights ¶
On August 1, 2020, Kenya Airways resumed international commercial flights, marking a significant step in the airline's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the airline has reduced its routes by 42 direct flights, including major tourism destinations in Kenya, and will operate flights to only 11 countries initially.
The 11 countries on the airline's list are Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Morocco, and Namibia from Africa, and Canada, Switzerland, Japan, China, and South Korea from outside the continent.
Passengers from countries not on the list will have to connect to Nairobi through another route, as the airline has excluded major destinations such as the US, Britain, and India.
Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia announced guidelines for handling foreigners, exempting passengers from countries with mild and limited transmissions or declining incidence from isolation.
However, passengers from Tanzania will be placed in mandatory quarantine for 14 days, despite the country not being on the airline's initial list of destinations.
Kenya Airways has assured its clients that its aircraft are safe to fly, following a US Federal Aviation Administration emergency Airworthiness Directive for 2,000 Boeing 737s.
The airline has also announced the sacking of 400 cabin crew as part of downsizing to cushion its bottom line and support its long-term survival.
