Zambia suspends Kenya Airways flights to Lusaka over landing rights tiff

Zambia has announced the suspension of all Kenya Airways flights to its capital Lusaka, effective October 8, 2024.

This, according to the Zambian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), is due to delays by the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) in granting landing rights to Zambia Airways in Nairobi.

Zambia’s Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority Derrick Luembe said the decision comes after efforts to communicate with the KCAA were met with silence.

Luembe stated that Zambia Airways, through the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, had applied for scheduled flights from Lusaka to Nairobi.

Zambia Airways was initially granted a Foreign Operators Permit by the KCAA. However, authorisation to operate flights into Nairobi using a wet-leased Boeing 737-700 was denied.

“The Zambian CAA appealed to the KCAA to reconsider their decision and allow Zambia Airways (2014) Limited to fly into Nairobi with the wet-leased B737-700 aircraft,” he said.

The Zambian government's attempts to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels were unsuccessful.

Luembe pointed out that the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had reached out to Kenyan authorities multiple times.

This included a meeting with the Kenyan Acting High Commissioner to Zambia on September 12, 2024. Despite providing all the required documentation, Zambia received no response.

In a letter dated October 1, 2024, Zambia's Civil Aviation Authority reached out to KCAA multiple times, including via WhatsApp and a written request to Kenya's Transport minister in July, but received no response.

“Considering the lack of response and reciprocity on the matter of Zambia Airways (2014) Limited flights into Nairobi, I regret to inform you that all Kenya Airways flights into Zambia are hereby suspended with effect from time 21:59 Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on October 8, 2024,” Luembe stated.