This archive report was first published on 15 May 2020.
Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has denied plans to resume passenger flights at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, despite an internal memo suggesting otherwise.
The memo, leaked to the public, was meant for officials from the Aeronautical Operational Control (AOC), government agencies, concessionaires, contractors, suppliers, and service providers.
According to the memo, a virtual meeting was scheduled for May 13, 2020, to discuss the resumption of passenger operations and put in place precautionary public health measures against COVID-19.
However, KAA Media Relations Officer Grace Odhiambo clarified that the meeting was postponed due to operational issues and was not meant to announce the resumption of passenger flights.
"We were supposed to have a meeting with the stakeholders but the meeting never took place. It was pushed to a later date due to operational issues," Odhiambo said.
She added that the authority is currently putting measures in place, including additional fumigation counters, signages, and social distancing guidelines, in case passenger flights resume.
"Unless they lift the ban on passenger flights, there is nothing we can do. We still don't know when the operations will resume but we are making adjustments," Odhiambo said.
International flights were suspended at midnight on March 25 after 15 COVID-19 cases were reported in the country.
