The authorities in Tanzania have lifted “with immediate effect” a ban on Kenyan airlines weeks after it imposed it as a retaliation to its neighbour’s ban on its carriers.
Kenya had imposed the ban as a measure to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The Tanzanian decision was taken “on a reciprocal basis” said Hamza Johari, Director General of Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA), in a statement.
The move comes a day after Kenya announced it was lifting a requirement for Tanzanian travelers to be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival in the country.
In an interview with BBC Swahili, Mr Johari said the Tanzanian aviation authorities will hold a meeting with their Kenyan counterparts in December to review “the just ended stalemate and chart the best way forward.”
In June, Tanzania’s President John Magufuli declared the country “coronavirus free”.
His government then opted out of imposing stringent measures to contain the virus, and stopped giving regular updates on the number of infections.
It’s this perceived lack of transparency that sparked the row with Kenya.
Despite the resumption of travel between the two countries Kenya will still require passengers to have “Covid-free” certificates.
-BBC
