KQ and Emirates suspend flights as Dubai feud escalate

STORY BY JANEPHER OKONGA
Kenya has suspended all inbound and transit passenger flights from the United Arabs Emirates (UAE) to retaliate against a move by Dubai to ban all passenger flights from Kenya last year.

The suspension took effect on January 10, for an initial period of seven days.

The ban does not however affect cargo flights normally flown by carriers such as Kenya Airways and Emirates airline.

The ban comes a few days after Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the government was in talks with Dubai to reinstate flights from Kenya following the ban imposed after numerous false-positive COVID-19 tests were presented at its airports.

According to the CS, the Ministry is already undertaking an investigation on the matter with a view to bringing to book health officials who were involved.

The conspiracy, according to KCAA Director-General Gilbert Kibe, comprised a racket of private medical testing centres that conspired with travellers to produce fraudulent Covid-19 PCR results to help their flight to Dubai.

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) announced a 48-hour suspension on all flights from Kenya to the Middle East nation on December 20, 2021.

On December 29, 2021, Emirates Airline said that it has, in turn, extended its flights from Kenya suspension to comply with the directive that was to end on December 24 until further notice.