Kenya Lifts Flight Restrictions to the UK Ahead of Tourism Peak

Kenya has lifted its ban on passenger flights to the UK in a move that will boost the ailing hospitality industry.

In an announcement made on Wednesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, flights between Nairobi and London were resumed after a three-month ban.

The surprise move comes barely weeks after the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), for the second time, extended the UK flight ban to August 24.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya presents its compliments to the British High Commission and has the honor to convey the decision…to lift all flight restrictions between Kenya and the United Kingdom,” read part of the letter.

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However, due to COVID-19 regulations for safety, the arrivals from both UK and Kenya will be required to self-isolate for seven days. They must also hold a valid Covid-19 certificate showing a negative status conducted within 96 hours before travel.

“All passengers irrespective of nationality and residency status coming to Kenya from the United Kingdom, irrespective of their route of travel to Kenya, shall be required to self-isolate upon arrival and take a subsequent test for four days after arrival,” the Ministry said.

In retaliation to the UK’s addition of Kenya to the “Red List” – unsafe zones to travel to following the prevalence of the coronavirus – Kenya banned flights from the UK, effective April 9. The ban was to last until May 5 but was extended to June 6.

The decision to restore the flights comes ahead of the tourism peak during the summer season and it will be a welcome to the hospitality industry as well as Kenya Airways, which have greatly been affected by the pandemic.

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The tourism sector in the country usually peaks in July through September, which coincides with the world-renown wildebeest migration across the vast plains of the savannah in Maasai Mara.

In 2020, the Ministry of Tourism projected that Kenya would lose up to 80 billion shillings in the tourism sector regardless of the impressive performance in 2019. During the said year, the tourism sector netted 163.6 billion shillings, a 3.9 percent increase from 157.4 billion shillings in 2018.

The resumption of flights to the UK will hopefully revive the sector and will complement the Treasury’s decision to mark tourism among the priority sectors to safeguarding the country’s economy.

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Meanwhile, Kenya is geared for talks with the UK for post-Brexit bilateral trade in hopes to boost its economy following the failure by States of the East African Community (EAC) to conclude an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union. Kenya was the only member state that signed and ratified the deal.