KQ cuts flights to Dar over Kenya-Tanzania diplomatic row

A Kenya Airways plane flies over Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani, during the Kenya at 50 celebrations on December 12, 2013. FILE PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • This is as a result of a communication from the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority reducing flight frequencies of Kenyan carriers into Tanzania.
  • The airline is currently facing increased pressure from gulf airlines on its African routes.

Kenya Airways has reduced the number of flights to Dar es Salaam after Tanzania imposed frequency restrictions over a diplomatic row between the two countries.

The national carrier, which on Tuesday retired 10 of its senior pilots in an attempt to cut down losses, said in a statement that it was reducing its weekly flights to Tanzania from 42 to 14 effective immediately.

“Kenya Airways wishes to notify its customers that it has reduced its frequencies to Dar es Salaam from 42 to 14 per week and will now only fly twice daily from March 19th March 2015.

“This is as a result of a communication from the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) reducing flight frequencies of Kenyan carriers into Tanzania,” it said.

The airline’s announcement comes as officials from the Kenyan government reached out to their Tanzanian counterparts with a view to resolving the impasse.

The airline is facing increased pressure from gulf airlines on its African routes. Last year, it was also forced to stop flying to a number of West African routes following the outbreak of Ebola in that region.