Kenya has lifted a ban it had imposed on all inbound and transit passenger flights from Dubai two weeks ago.
According to a report by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, the suspension expired on Monday, January 24.
The ban of all passenger flights to and from Dubai was issued on January 10.
“The ban was lifted Monday midnight, offering a major relief to hundreds of travellers between the two destinations.” Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) director-general Gilbert Kibe
The ban did not however affect cargo flights that are normally flown by carriers such as Kenya Airways (KQ) and Emirates airline from UEA into Kenya.
“Kenya shall do a NOTAM lifting the suspension of flights to and from UAE from midnight tonight (Monday),’’ said Mr Kibe.
The ban came a few days after UAE extended the Kenya flight ban after it established that travellers from Nairobi were testing positive for Covid-19 after arrival in the Middle East nation, despite carrying negative test results. The ban on Dubai flights was a move to reciprocate a ban on Kenyan passenger flights to UAE.
The government has said they are in talks with the arab country to also lift the ban on passenger flights from Kenya.
The directive to ban all passenger flights from Kenya came as a blow to KQ , which had seen an increase in bookings on this route due to the ongoing Dubai Expo 2020 exhibition.
The Dubai-based carrier connects the bulk of the continent’s travellers to the rest of the world through its Dubai hub with the budget airlines feeding it with cargo and passengers in major cities like Nairobi.
Kenya exported goods worth Sh25.27 billion in the nine months to September 2021 from UAE while imports from the nation stood at Sh122.35 billion in the same period.
