British Airways suspends flights after Kenya ban

A British Airways aircraft. AFP PHOTO

Summary

• The airline said Thursday the suspension of operations would see passengers who had booked tickets after April 9, to travel between the two destinations entitled to a full refund.
• Affected passengers, British Airways said, could also take a voucher for the value of their fare for future travel up to April 30, 2023

By Business Daily Africa

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British Airways has suspended passenger flights between the United Kingdom and Kenya from Friday after Nairobi banned all flights from Britain to retaliate a move by London to add the country on its travel ‘red list’.

The airline said Thursday the suspension of operations would see passengers who had booked tickets after April 9, to travel between the two destinations entitled to a full refund.

Affected passengers, British Airways said, could also take a voucher for the value of their fare for future travel up to April 30, 2023.

The move by British Airways comes barely four days after Kenya Airways suspended flights between Kenya and the UK effective today until further notice.

“We are not scheduled to operate past April 9 due to the government restrictions,” British Airways told the Business Daily yesterday.

The airline is cancelling flights to Nairobi barely a few days after the UK banned travellers from Kenya from entering England starting April 9 to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Kenya is among four countries that have been added to the UK’s red list amid concerns about new Covid-19 variants.

Also, travellers, who have departed from or transited through Kenya, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the previous 10 days would be refused entry into England.

An exception is made for British or Irish passport holders or people with UK residence rights. But they must first pay to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days.