Tanzania’s aviation authority has announced a suspension of all Kenya Airways flights from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam starting next Monday.
The move is a response to Kenya’s decision not to allow any all-cargo flights operated by Air Tanzania to land in Nairobi, violating a 2016 agreement between the two countries.
Hamza Johari, the director-general of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA), stated, “We have written to Kenyan authorities’ but they do not respond. We tried other means of arbitration without success.
“We had no barriers for their flight to Tanzania, why are they not giving us access to operate in their country? We have calculated over $330,000 (£260,000) loss for every single cargo flight from Nairobi to other countries.”
While other airlines serve the Nairobi-Dar es Salaam route, this reciprocal action could lead to increased costs and disruptions for tourists and business travelers who rely on Kenya Airways, according to Tanzania’s Citizen newspaper.
In response, Kenya Airways noted it is “engaging the Civil Aviation Authorities and relevant government agencies in Kenya and Tanzania to find a solution that will ensure there are no flight disruptions between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.”
This dispute is not the first aviation-related disagreement between the two countries. In 2020, Tanzania briefly halted Kenya Airways flights over a quarrel about quarantine restrictions for Tanzanians.
Source-BBC
