Kenya Airways and local cargo operators have challenged the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority's (KCAA) decision to approve Ethiopian Airlines' ad-hoc cargo flights from Nairobi to Europe, citing unfair fifth freedom rights and reciprocal restrictions.
Stakeholders argued that the ad-hoc clearance effectively grants Ethiopian Airlines fifth freedom traffic rights, allowing operations without routing through its base country, Ethiopia. This contradicts Kenya's own restrictions on Ethiopian cargo airlines operating the Nairobi-Addis Ababa-Nairobi route.
Kenya Airways Chairman Michael Joseph confirmed objections to KCAA's approval of the ad-hoc flights, which would enable Ethiopian Airlines to operate directly from Nairobi to Liege, Belgium. A local operator quoted in Nation described the move as unjustified and disruptive to regional aviation equity.
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