Kenya has banned all flights from Dubai in what is being widely seen as a retaliatory move. The ban on Dubai flights to Kenya follows a ban that was instituted by Dubai on all flights from Kenya including those on transit.
According to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) Director-General Gilbert Kibe, the suspension of flights from Dubai took effect on Monday midnight and will last for a period of seven days.
The ban by Kenya does not however affect cargo flights that are normally flown by carriers such as Kenya Airways and Emirates airline from UEA into Kenya.
“Inbound and transit passenger flights from UAE are suspended for a period of seven days. We are doing this to reciprocate a ban on Kenyan passenger flights to UAE,” Kibe told a local daily.
Dubai cast the first stone at Kenya in late December when it banned all flights from Kenya. The ban was initially set to last for 48 hours. It was however extended indefinitely. “Please be informed that the operations of all air transport services for inbound and transit passenger movements to Emirates of Dubai from any point in the Republic of Kenya are temporarily suspended effective December 20, 2021,” a notice from the Dubai authorities said.
Following the ban, Emirates Airlines suspended all passenger flights from Kenya. “Customers will not be accepted for travel on Emirates flights at Nairobi during this time,” the airline said on Monday. Kenya now joined Nigeria which has also been banned.
Incidentally, following the ban by Dubai, the United States has downgraded Kenya to level three travel advisory, a category that requires American citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to the country or reconsider planned trips. This is expected to further the rebound of Kenya’s tourism sector.