Kenya Airways has responded following a ban against all its flights to Dar es Salaam by the Tanzanian government.

In a statement that was issued on Monday evening, Kenya Airways acknowledged the ban saying it was working to have the passenger flights restored

“Kenya Airways (KQ) is aware of the Public Notice issued by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority on 15th January 2024, rescinding the approvals of KQ to operate passenger flights between Nairobi and Dar es salaam effective 22nd January 2024,” said KQ in a statement.

“Kenya Airways is engaging the Civil Aviation Authorities and relevant government agencies in Kenya and Tanzania to find a solution that will ensure there are no flight disruptions between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.”

Kenya Airways has been operating 33 scheduled flights between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam per week. The ban on flights to Dar es Salaam now means that KQ will lose on revenue while passengers might have to pay more to fly with alternative carriers.

Tanzania issued a ban on all flights from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam by Kenya Airways after Kenya’s recent rejection of Tanzania’s request to have its airline Air Tanzania operate cargo flights from Nairobi to third countries.

Why Kenya Airways is abbreviated as “KQ” and not “KA“

“This decision is based on the principle of reciprocity, following the refusal by the Kenyan authorities to grant approval for ATCL’s cargo flights despite the clear provisions of the MoU,” said TCAA Director General Hamza S. Johari in a public notice.

“The United Republic of Tanzania shall always strive to adhere to the principles of Chicago Convention 1944 and Bilateral Air Services Agreement between States.”

This ban is the latest incident to betray Kenya’s diminishing regional dominance.