National carrier Kenya Airways is set to face stiffer competition on the Dubai-Mombasa route following the entry of Ethiopian Airlines and Fly Dubai.

The Ministry of Transport has increased the number of flights Ethiopian Airlines can make along the lucrative Dubai-Mombasa route to two per week under the open skies policy.

It has also allowed the United Arab Emirates carrier Fly Dubai to fly directly to Mombasa.

“We have a balance between protecting our local airlines and inviting business and tourists into the country. But even in that situation, we have approved the Fly Dubai which will begin flying directly from Dubai to Mombasa in two months,” Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said on the increased Dubai flights for the two carriers.

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Murkomen added that Turkish Airlines is also being analysed with the aim of granting it permission for additional routes to and from Kenya, including Dubai flights.

“We have also approved Ethiopian Airlines to fly twice directly to Mombasa. We are analysing the Turkish Airlines and many others,” said CS Murkomen.

The national carrier has lagged behind Ethiopian Airlines for more than ten years, with the Ethiopian going on to become the most dominant airline in Africa.

Kenya Airways has been opposing this policy, arguing that the government is entertaining foreign carriers whose governments aren’t reciprocating the goodwill by granting KQ the same permissions in their countries primary routes.