Diplomatic relations between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam are once again under strain following a decision by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) to rescind approvals for Kenya Airways (KQ) to operate passenger flights between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
- Kenya Airways operates 33 scheduled flights per week between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
- According to the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority, the decision to rescind flights between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam is to reciprocate a move by Kenyan aviation authorities to refuse the Tanzania’s request for cargo flight freedoms.
- The request would have allowed Air Tanzania, under fifth freedom traffic rights, to initiate cargo flights between Nairobi and Third Countries.
“Following the decision, there shall be no passenger flights by KQ between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam from 22 January 2024,” said Hamza Johari, Director General, Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority.
In response, Kenya Airways said it is engaging the civil aviation authorities and relevant government agencies in Kenya and Dar es Salaam to find a solution that will ensure there are no flight disruptions on the route.
Following the implication of the directive on the finances of the struggling Kenyan national airline (KQ), top government officials were busy fighting to contain the situation on Monday evening.
Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who also doubles as Foreign Cabinet Secretary, said he was in touch with his Tanzanian counterpart and have agreed to solve the matter amicably.
“We have jointly agreed that our respective Civil Aviation Authorities will work together to have the matter resolved amicably within the next three days. There should be no cause for alarm,” said Mudavadi on his X handle.
Tanzanian Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Minister January Makamba acknowledged the high-level engagement, “we have agreed that restrictions of air travel between our country to a third country should not stand. With relevant authorities, we have resolved to settle this issue, per existing agreements, within three days.”
- This is not the first time the two neighbouring countries find themselves in similar situation, with some of the recent incidents including the burning of 5000 one day-old chicks from Kenya and the seizure and sale of 1,125 cattle belonging to Kenyan Maasai herders.
- In 2022, Tanzania also imposed a total ban on importation of day-old chicks from Kenya and other countries with the aim of protecting the local poultry market.
- The two countries however normally find a way to mend fences, including signing different Memorandum of Understandings to strengthen their bilateral relations.
The aviation rights dispute between Kenya and Tanzania is one the growing spats that Kenya finds itself in with its East African neighbours. Already, Uganda has taken Kenya to the East African Court of Justice after Nairobi denied the neighboring country’s government-owned oil marketer a license to operate locally, and handle fuel imports headed to Kampala.
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