Weeks after the international passenger flight ban was extended in the country over the Coronavirus threat, Kahawa Tungu has learnt that plans are underway to resume operations.
Preparations spearheded by the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) are in high gear ahead of the resumption of the flights at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Nairobi.
JKIA Airport Manager Abel Gogo has organised for a virtual Zoom meeting on Wednesday, May 13, to strategise on the resumption of activities at Kenya’s largest airport.
The meeting will involve officials from the Aeronautical Operational Control (AOC), all government agencies, concessionaires, contractors, suppliers and service providers.
In a memo dated Monday, May 11, Gogo urged the departments/organizations to nominate one senior member to join the meeting.
“In preparation for the imminent resumption of passenger operations at the Jomo Kenyatta International Aiport you are hereby invited to a virtual meeting to be held on Wednesday 13th May 2020 at 1100hrs, ” the memo reads.
Read: Gov’t Extends Ban On International Passenger Flights For 30 Days
Some of the issues to be discussed include precautionary public health measures for civil aviation amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The officials, according to the memo, will also deliberate on operational readiness and resumption activities.
The memo comes amid safety concerns from all quarters considering that the delay in closing Kenya’s airspace contributed in the importation of the contagious disease.
Covid-19 remains a big threat to all countries worldwide and many governments remain adamant on boarder and airspace closure as part of measures to contain further spread of the disease despite huge losses being reported in the aviation sector.
The government of Kenya suspended international flights on March 25. On April 6, the flight ban was extended for an additional 30 days.
The cessation of movement announced by President Uhuru Kenyatta last month also banned passenger flights in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi counties.
The ban exempted cargo flights.
Read Also: KQ Cartels Delaying Flights, Forcefully Booking Passengers To Weston Hotel
The latest communication from KAA means that the government might not extend the ban further.
Over the recent past, the staff at the JKIA including Kenya Airways crew have raised serious complaints about the government’s response to Covid-19 with some saying they were at a high risk of contracting the disease.
Last month, a KQ pilot was among individuals who succumbed to Covid-19.
The late Captain Daudi Kimuyu Kibati is the pilot who flew the last KQ flight from New York before the flight ban took effect.
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