Kenya Airways Warns Kenyans Flying To Europe On Delays
The longer routes, which are alternatives, are meant to ensure the safety of their passengers and crew.
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National airline, Kenya Airways on Sunday, April 16 announced that its customers should expect a one-hour delay on all flights between Nairobi and Europe.
In a statement, KQ's Chief Commercial and Customer Officer, Julius Thairu revealed that the airline attributed the delay to the rerouting of flights to longer routes amidst the ongoing unrest in Khartoum, Sudan.
The longer routes, which are alternatives, are meant to ensure the safety of their passengers and crew.
This is as Sudan's Civil Aviation authorities closed off its airspace, forcing flights travelling to Kenya and Tanzania to fly around the Sudanese nation instead of over it.
"Following the ongoing unrest in Sudan, the Sudanese Civil Aviation authorities have banned flights through their airspace.
"We, therefore, wish to inform our customers that we have adjusted the schedules for our flights to and from Europe by approximately 1 hour to cater for the rerouting of these flights," stated Thairu in part.
KQ also noted that all flights to and from Khartoum remained suspended until further notice.
"We continue to monitor and will share updates as soon as we have more information. Affected customers are advised to get in touch with our Customer Excellence Center via +254 711 024 747, WhatsApp: +254 705 474 747 or Email: [email protected]," Thairu added.
Activities around Khartoum International Airport were halted with aircraft set ablaze following the outbreak of the unrest.
Citizen TV reported that sources at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) indicated that several flights to Kenya from Europe had also been turned back due to safety concerns about Sudan's airspace. Pilots headed to and from Europe and the Middle East were advised to seek alternative routes.
One of the passenger planes which was en route to Nairobi was redirected on Saturday, April 15 following the unrest after it landed at an airport in Sudan where it was supposed to take off to Nairobi afterwards. Following reports of the unrest, the plane was diverted to Athens, Greece.
State-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines stated that one of its Airbus A330 jets had an accident at Khartoum before its scheduled departure for Riyadh.
Chaos broke out in the country following the power struggles between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to media reports, at least 50 people lost their lives as the African Union Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat called for dialogue between the two warring parties.
On Sunday, April 16, President William Ruto convened Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Head of States meeting to discuss the situation in Khartoum.
On the same day, Foreign Affairs CS, Alfred Mutua announced that the government was working with KQ to facilitate the evacuation of about 3,000 Kenyans stuck in Sudan following fierce fighting in the country.
An Airbus A330 destroyed during unrest in Sudan on April 15, 2023. /TWITTER.ALEX MACHERAS
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