Tanzania bans three more Kenyan airlines from its territory after Kenya excluded it from fresh quarantine list

Tanzania strikes back after Kenya excluded it from fresh quarantine list

Mumbi Mutuko

August 27, 2020 7:34 AM

Tanzania-Kenya row escalates

President Uhuru Kenyatta with Tanzania's President Dr John Magufuli

Tanzania banned three more Kenyan airlines from its territory amid an ongoing row between the two countries.

The trade war between the two countries escalated after Nairobi excluded Tanzanians among travellers exempted from mandatory quarantine in a new list released on Tuesday.

Nairobi for the second time retained Tanzania on the red list of nations with high risk in Covid-19 cases.

Scare as Fly540 plane gets stuck in pothole during take off at Manda Airport, Lamu Pulse Live Kenya

This means travellers from the neighbouring country will continue facing a mandatory two-week quarantine to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) nullified the approval granted to Fly 540, Air Kenya Express and Safarilink Aviation.

The Three airlines operate daily flights to and from Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar.

Bombadier-Dash-8-300 .(fly540) Pulse Live Kenya

“Reference is made to the approval for your summer schedule application extended to Air Kenya Express. The approval was granted to Air Kenya for scheduled flight operations between Nairobi and Kilimanjaro with effect from March 27 to October 25."

"However, we regret to inform you that this approval is hereby nullified,” a letter to Air Kenya’s operations manager read in part.

TCAA did not give any reasons as to why it nullified the approvals but reminded the privately owned airlines they will have to apply afresh for any operations into Tanzania.

Mumbi Mutuko