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KCAA: Reviewed Covid-19 travel regulations will spur aviation growth

World Health Organization declared that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency.

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by MAUREEN KINYANJUI

News10 May 2023 - 09:56
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In Summary


  • • KCCA noted that the aviation industry survived the pandemic crisis and has now bounced back
  • • National carrier Kenya Airways' net loss nearly tripled to Sh36.2 billion during the period.
The vaccines which form the first batch of the two shipments expected to total 1.76 million doses from the US government arrived at JKIA at 6.15 am.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCCA) has welcomed the move by the Ministry of Health to review the Covid-19 Travel Regulations Procedures.

The Ministry announced that passengers arriving in the country will no longer be required to produce Covid-19 certificates or valid PCR test results.

This was after the World Health Organization last week declared that the disease is no longer a global health emergency.

In a statement on Wednesday, the authority said the move has been seen as a  positive development that will spur aviation growth locally, regionally, and internationally.

"Covid-19 had caused devastating effects to aviation, crippling the industry for two years when the pandemic was soaring," it reads.

As part of the revied measures, travellers arriving into the country at any port of entry with flu-like symptoms will be expected to fill the passenger locator form on the 'Jitenge' platform.

 

They will also be required to take a Covid-19 antigen test upon arrival at their own cost.

Those who turn positive for Antigen testing will be required to take a further COVID-19 PCR test at their own cost.

Those with severe symptoms shall thereafter be allowed to isolate as per the prevailing isolation requirements for mild, moderate and severe disease.

KCCA noted that the aviation industry survived the pandemic crisis and has now bounced back, with airlines resuming full operations.

Kenya’s aviation sector is rising from a damaging blow inflicted by the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.

The first casualties of Covid-19 in the aviation sub-sector were workers who either took salary cuts or lost their jobs as companies sought to conserve cash in the wake of the pandemic.

 

Also hit were airlines that had to suspend flights or reduce frequencies to some of their destinations.

National carrier Kenya Airways' net loss nearly tripled to Sh36.2 billion during the period, the worst ever in the history of the airline.

The poor performance was on account of Covid-19 disruptions that led to a sharp decline in passenger numbers.

Between March and May 2020, passenger business at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport had severely been hit losing 80 percent of traffic at the facility.

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