NAIROBI (Somaliguardian) –Kenya Airways announced that it would suspend passenger flights to Mogadishu airport, in a move aimed to reduce its operations because of the pandemic. The flight operator will cease flying from Nairobi to Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, saying that the uncertainty of the pandemic requires it to reduce operations.
Among the other cities to which the Kenyan national carrier suspended flying include Luanda (Angola), Bamako (Mali), Djibouti, Brazzaville (Republic of Congo).
“As with other airlines, Kenya Airways has been severely impacted. Our short and medium-term projections indicate that we must inevitably reduce our operations before we begin to scale up again,” reads a KQ position statement.
The airliner will also stop flights to Khartoum (Sudan), Maputo (Mozambique) and Blantyre (Malawi) for the next few days.
The airliner said the suspension is part of the airline’s recovery strategy, which includes operating a reduce network as it awaits demand to pick up.
Nevertheless, the carrier will offer connecting flights to the destinations via Nairobi through its partners to minimize possible disruptions. Kenya Airways will also maintain cargo services to the cities, as well as offer charter flights on demand.
What is the actual reason behind suspension of Kenya Airways flights to Mogadishu?
The move has come after the Somali federal government announced that international flights to airports in the country would resume last week and that ban on Khat planes would be in place.
Last week, a Kenyan passenger plane was refused landing permission at Mogadishu’s Adan Adde airport after crew said they found commercial Khat bags hidden inside the plane.
The announcement of the Somali authorities that Khat ban would remain in place has triggered a new dispute with Nairobi. The decision by Kenyan Airways is thought to be part of escalating tensions over the ban on Khat imports in Somalia.
List of African cities to KQ stopped flying
- Nairobi – Luanda, Angola.
- Nairobi – Bamako, Mali.
- Nairobi – Brazzaville,Republic of Congo.
- Nairobi- Mogadishu,Somalia.
- Nairobi – Khartoum, Sudan.
- Nairobi – Djibouti,Dj ibouti.
- Nairobi- Blantyre,Malawi.
- Nairobi – Maputo,Mozambique.
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