· In an announcement, President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced the phased reopening of the country that will see domestic flights resuming from July 15
· International travel is scheduled to restart on August 1.
Kenyan skies will see the restart of air travel from July 15 after being grounded for more than three months. In an announcement, President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced a phased reopening of the country that will see domestic flights resuming from July 15. International travel is scheduled to restart on August 1. The President assured that resumption of flights will be in strict adherence with all applicable guidelines and protocols from both the Ministry of Health, local and international civil aviation authorities, and any additional requirements applicable at the ports of departure, arrival or transit.
A ban on air travel was imposed in March as part of the government measures to curb the spread of coronavirus infections. leading to the grounding of airlines. In May, with cargo and emergency flights were permitted. The grounding of flights was disastrous for the local carriers, tourism, hotel industry leading to severe job losses.
The resumption of air travel is welcome relief for domestic carriers. There is also no compulsion to keep some seats empty in line with public health regulations. Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) director-general Gilbert Kibe stated that flying with the middle row seats empty will be uneconomical and will lead to price hike of tickets. The airlines on the other hand will adopt measures such as the use of face masks, pre-flight screening, and sanitising cabins to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. The aircraft will also have seats reserved to deal with any suspected cases of the coronavirus aboard.
The President has called for caution on the phased re-opening and warned that the lockdown will be reinstated if coronavirus cases surge. The nationwide 9pm to 4am curfew stands extended for a further 30 days. The country had 7,886 confirmed cases as of this week, with 160 deaths.
