Following a directive from Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, flights from Kenya to Dubai have been suspended for 48 hours as of Monday.
A statement issued on the carrier’s website said that as per directives from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), all air transport services to Dubai from Kenya will be temporarily suspended for 48 hours starting from December 20.
“All air transport services with inbound and transit passenger movements to the emirate of Dubai from any point in the Republic of Kenya are temporarily suspended for 48 hours effective from 20 December 2021 at 10.30hrs local time Dubai,” reads an announcement on Emirates airline’s website.
“Customers will not be accepted for travel on Emirates flights at Nairobi during this time.”
Although no particular reason has been given, outbound passenger flights from Dubai to Nairobi remain unaffected. Earlier in December, the National Authority for Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management (NCEMA) and the General Civil Aviation Authority had introduced new travel requirements for those coming on direct flights from the following countries: Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia.
Last week, Kenya confirmed the country’s first cases of Omicron, with Kenya’s Health Ministry on Saturday announcing Covid-19 cases had risen above 2,000.
In May, Kenya declined an application by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to increase flights from Dubai to Nairobi and vice versa.
In a move to protect the national carrier Kenya Airways, Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said the government had resolved to deny Emirates unrestricted flights from the two cities.
Emirates made 14 trips per week from Dubai to Nairobi and vice versa. The total number of trips from airlines hailing from the UAE, including Etihad and Qatar Airways, is 28 per week.
