Kenya Airways flights to Zambia resume after talks—KCAA boss

After a brief diplomatic tussle, Zambia has lifted the suspension of Kenya Airways flights following Nairobi's decision to grant landing rights to Zambia’s national carrier, Zambia Airways.

A dispute over Zambia Airways' access to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) prompted the suspension, set to take effect on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

The Zambia Civil Aviation Authority (ZCAA) had imposed the suspension after the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) declined to grant Zambia Airways the necessary authorisation to operate flights into JKIA using a wet-leased Boeing 737-700, despite earlier approvals. In a letter dated October 2, 2024, the ZCAA announced the suspension of Kenya Airways flights as a retaliatory measure.

Kenya Airways, which operates eight direct flights between Nairobi and Lusaka every week, was grounded in Zambia for nearly a week due to the disagreement. The impasse, however, has now been resolved, with both civil aviation authorities reaching an agreement.

Speaking to Nation, KCAA Director General Emile Arao confirmed the resolution of the matter, stating, "There is no suspension, and you will see a statement from the Zambians. The matter has been resolved."

The dispute started when the ZCAA claimed that Zambia Airways, despite having a Foreign Operators Permit to fly into JKIA, had not received final authorisation to use the wet-leased Boeing aircraft for Nairobi flights. Efforts to resolve the matter diplomatically appeared to stall.

According to Captain Derrick Luembe, Director General of the ZCAA, the Zambian government made several appeals to Kenyan authorities, including seeking intervention from Kenya’s Minister of Transport.

"The Zambian CAA appealed to KCAA to reconsider their position and grant Zambia Airways (2014) Limited the required authorisation to fly to Nairobi using the wet-leased B737-700 aircraft. The KCAA has maintained the same position of not granting authorisation," Luembe said in a statement.

The Zambian side made further attempts to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels, holding meetings with Kenya’s acting high commissioner to Zambia and providing all the necessary documents for the case. Yet, according to Captain Luembe, these efforts were met with silence.

"Our Ministry of Transport and Logistics wrote a letter to Kenya's Minister of Transport on July 26, 2024, requesting his intervention; to date, there has been no response from the Minister of Transport in Kenya," Luembe explained.

As frustrations mounted, the ZCAA moved to suspend Kenya Airways flights to Zambia.

The suspension of Kenya Airways flights had an immediate impact on passengers, with many left stranded and others scrambling to make alternate travel arrangements. Fortunately, renewed discussions between the KCAA and ZCAA led to a swift resolution. This breakthrough allowed Kenya Airways to resume flights to Zambia, averting a prolonged disruption.

The KCAA’s Director General Arao, while confirming the resumption of flights, indicated that Zambia Airways would also receive the necessary landing rights to operate at JKIA, resolving the core issue of the standoff.

"We are glad this matter has been resolved and flights between the two countries can now continue as scheduled. This is a positive outcome for both Zambia and Kenya," said Arao.