Tanzania bars KQ flights in a retaliatory move
By Noel Wandera, August 1, 2020
Tanzanian authorities have barred Kenya Airways from operating 19 scheduled weekly flights to that country citing Kenya’s decision to deny Tanzanian nationals from traveling to Kenya.
— Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) (@officialtcaa) July 31, 2020
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority had granted KQ permission to operate the route on July 30, 2020, with KQ scheduling to begin flights to the Julius Nyerere International Airport on Friday.
According to a letter from TCAA in our possession, Tanzania said its exclusion in the list of countries of people not allowed to travel into Kenya effective August 1, 2020 informed the move.
“The authority regrets to inform you that, on reciprocal basis, the Tanzania government has decided to nullify its approval for Kenya Airways (KQ) flights between Nairobi and Dar/Kilimanjaro/Zanzibar effective 1 August 2020 until further notice” said TCAA Director General Hamza Johari, adding that the approval was granted to KQ vide our letter with Ref. No. TCAA/BA/.21/68/112/102 of 30 July 2020.
“This letter also rescinds all previous arrangements that permit KQ flights into the United Republic of Tanzanian,” said Johari.
KQ, as the national carrier is known by its international code was to operate 14 weekly flights to Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport, two to Kilimanjaro Airport and three times to Zanzibar.