Kenya’s national carrier Kenya Airways has postponed indefinitely the launch of its direct flight from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the Somali capital Mogadishu, as it faces opposition from several neighbouring countries over its intended change of aircraft on regional routes. “We have postponed our maiden flight to Mogadishu until further notice. We are still facing delays in getting the additional operational requirement,” Kenya Airways chief executive officer Sebastian Mikosz said on Tuesday.
Already, Burundi, Djibouti and South Sudan have declined to grant KQ permission to change the aircraft it flies to their respective capitals from the Embraer 190 to Bombardier Q400. KQ termed the decisions taken by the neighbouring governments ”politically motivated.” The airline explained that it settled for the cheaper aircraft on its regional routes as part of its cost optimisation measures.
The carrier, which had initially planned to fly to Mogadishu beginning November 15, was to launch its direct flights to Aden Adde International Airport, Mogadishu, on December 5 in a move that was expected to boost trade with the Horn of Africa country.
