This archive report was first published on 21 June 2021.
On June 26, 2021, Kenya Airways resumed direct flights from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) to London Heathrow (LHR), marking a significant milestone in the resumption of international travel between the two nations.
Recall that all flights between Kenya and the UK ceased on April 9, 2021, after the UK added Kenya to its 'red list' of countries. In response, the Kenyan government banned flights from the UK, a move that was later extended by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) to August 24, 2021.
However, with the summer tourism season in full swing, the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that flights between Kenya and the UK had been cleared to resume, paving the way for the resumption of direct flights by Kenya Airways.
It's worth noting that despite the resumption of flights, Kenya remains on the UK's red list. As a result, passengers traveling to the UK from Kenya must meet specific requirements, including being a UK national, Irish national, or having a right of residence in the UK, providing a negative COVID-19 certificate three days before travel, booking a government-approved quarantine hotel within 14 days before arrival, and taking two COVID-19 tests if they have been in a red list country or territory ten days before arriving in the UK.
On the other hand, passengers arriving in Kenya from the United Kingdom must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate conducted within 96 hours before arrival. This rule does not apply to children under five years old. Once in Kenya, they must self-isolate for seven days and take a second COVID-19 PCR test four days after arrival.
Kenya Airways has also recently increased the frequency of its direct flights to the United States (New York) to three a week, up from once a week, in response to an uptick in demand for summer bookings.
