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Kenya Airways has reduced its number of flights to Tanzania following a directive by the country’s aviation authority.
The frequency to Dar es Salaam reduced from 42 to 14 a week from March 19, while daily flights to the city went down from five to two.
Talks to resolve the issue are ongoing, the carrier however said in a statement to newsrooms on Friday.
“Transport is a critical pillar in the integration of the East African Community. As such, expeditious resolution of the pending issues pertaining to the Bilateral Air Service Agreement is crucial in fast-tracking regional integration,” noted KQ.
The directive comes amid an impasse between the countries’ tourism ministries.
Tourism CS Phyllis Kandie invoked a 1985 bilateral agreement on tourism between the two countries in February.
It banned Tanzania’s tour vans from crossing into Kenya and dropping or picking visitors at the JKIA without licences.
The ban followed one by Tanzania barring Kenya’s tour operators from working within its borders.
Kandie said Tanzania failed to utilise a three-week window to negotiate on the agreement.
“The bilateral agreement will ensure fair play, since Kenya has kept her part of the deal, but has been denied the same opportunity to operate in Tanzania,” she said.
Kenya had decided not to implement the agreement in the spirit of EAC integration, amid efforts to revive the tourism industry.
– See more at: The Star
