Kenya lifts ban on UAE flights

Kenya has reportedly lifted a ban on flights from the United Arab Emirates, although no Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs) was issued by late on January 26 despite an earlier undertaking by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).

“Kenya shall do a NOTAM lifting the suspension of flights to and from the UAE from midnight tonight,” KCAA Director-General Gilbert Kibe had promised on January 24, reported Kenya’s Capital FM News.

Kibe said the Kenyan regulator expected the UAE to lift similar restrictions in response.

The East African country suspended all inbound and transit passenger flights from the UAE on January 10 for seven days in retaliation against the UAE’s temporary ban of all passenger flights from Kenya over concerns of fake COVID-19 test results issued in Kenya.

As reported, on January 7 Emirates (EK, Dubai Int’l) published a travel notice that passengers to/from Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta would not be accepted on its flights until further notice. No update was posted and Flight EK722 remained cancelled through January 26.