Tanzania has suspended all passenger flights operated by Kenya Airways (KQ) between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam starting January 22, 2024.
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) announced the suspension in retaliation for Kenya's recent decline of Tanzania's request to allow Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) to operate cargo flights originating from Nairobi.
TCAA Director General Hamza S. Johari said the Kenyan authorities' refusal to grant approval for Air Tanzania's new cargo flights from Nairobi violates the 2016 bilateral Air Services Agreement between the two countries.
"This decision is based on the principle of reciprocity, following Kenya's denial of ATCL's request to start cargo flights from Nairobi," Johari stated.
The suspension is set to greatly impact KQ's 33 weekly flights on the busy Nairobi-Dar es Salaam route and disrupt travel plans for passengers between the two cities.
It is the latest escalation in tensions over aviation rights between Kenya and Tanzania. In 2020, Tanzania previously blocked KQ flights after Kenya left Tanzanians off its list of travellers exempt from quarantine.
