Kenya Airspace to Reopen: Joins Other African States

Joining other African states south of the Sahara to Kenya airspace is set to re-open for domestic and international travelers, focusing on domestic, regional, and international tourism development.

Domestic flights are the first in place, then international flights will be allowed over Kenyan airspace next month.

Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta promised to review the imposed COVID-19 lockdown measures to relax travel restrictions, aiming to attract travelers and tourists to Kenya despite the sharp rising of COVID-19 infections.

The Kenyan President will also allow religious gatherings and inter-county tourism and travel in a bid to rescue the Kenyan economy now in the doldrums, according to Nation Media Group.

President Uhuru Kenyatta promised to review then relax the months-long COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions on travel that have existed for more than 3 months.

“We will soon start domestic flights, and this is what we will use as our trial in readiness for international travel over the next couple of days,” said President Kenyatta.

The reopening will be guided by World Health Organization (WHO) health safety protocols.

The tourism sector, the most hard-hit by imposed restriction on movement, is set to re-start after receiving a stamp of approval from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

Kenya has been listed among the 80 global destinations certified and authorized to use the “WTTC Safe Travel Stamp” together with Kenya’s tourism marketing brand, the Magical Kenya Logo.

This stamp will allow travelers to recognize Kenya as a safe destination once we reopen and implement the health and safety protocols,” said Kenyan Tourism Minister Najib Balala.

The protocols seek to ensure service provision meets required guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 to ensure a safe experience for visitors landing in Kenya.

Other than travel and tourism, religious and sporting activities will also resume, reported Nation Media Group.

Kenya is East Africa’s tourist hub by its high-class hotels and international connections.

Opening up of Kenya air space is expected to boost then raise the number of tourists and leisure and business travelers from different parts of the world to East Africa.

The Kenya capital city of Nairobi stands the most advanced tourist city in East Africa with air frequencies between Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the United States of America, travel and tourism observers said.

Nairobi has been among key cities in Africa attracting domestic and regional tourists by its prominence as the center for international organizations operating there, along with Kenya Airways which has been flying between West Africa and East Africa before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

With its prominence in business and international networks, Nairobi has been dormant since the outbreak of COVID-19 that led to lockdowns and travel restrictions.

Tanzania and Rwanda are the first East African states to set open their airspaces over the past weeks. Tanzania had opened its skies late in May, while Rwanda took the same step a week ago.

#rebuildingtravel