Panafrican News Agency

Tanzania lifts suspension of Kenyan flights

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) – Tanzania has lifted the suspension of all Kenyan flights into the country with immediate effect.

The move follows Kenya’s decision to remove the requirement of 14 days mandatory quarantine for all arriving passengers from Tanzania.

“In view of that, on a reciprocal basis, the United Republic of Tanzania has now lifted the suspension of all Kenyan operators namely, Kenya Airways, Fly 540 Limited, Safari Link Aviation and AirKenya Express Limited," said a statement issued on Wednesday by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA).

The statement, signed by the TCAA Director General, Hamza Johari, said their Kenyan counterparts, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), has already been informed about the decision.

"Tanzania would always strive to adhere to the fundamental principles of Chicago Convention 1944 and Bilateral Air Services Agreement between two states," the statement added.  

Kenya last month issued a list of countries allowed to operate flights into the country, omitting Tanzania, the decision which prompted the southern neighbour to revoke approval it had granted to Kenya Airways to resume international flights into the country.

According to the Kenyan government, travellers from the listed countries were not subject to the mandatory 14-day quarantine period after arriving in the country on international flights.

However, in the updated list issued this week, Tanzania was placed in the list of countries which are exempted from the mandatory quarantine upon arrival into the country.  

Kenya announced resumption of international flights starting 1 August 2020, allowing only countries with mild of limited community transmission or declining incidences of COVID-19 to operate flights to the East African country.

Tanzanian President, Dr John Pombe Magufuli, has been repeatedly claiming that Tanzania is free of COVID-19, “thanks to prayers by citizens”.

The government stopped publishing data on the number of coronavirus cases in the country, with the last one released on 29 April 2020 when there were 509 cases, with 21 deaths.

-0- PANA EBM/MA 16Sept2020