A Kenya Airways aircraft at JKIA [Photo: NMG]
UK air ticket prices from Kenya have risen five times, as British expatriates and tourists scramble to exit Kenya ahead of the suspension of passenger flights between the two countries starting this Friday.
This comes amid a rush for plane seats, days after the Kenyan government banned all flights from the UK, effective 9th of April.
This appears to be a move by London to Kenya on its travel red list.
“The decision by the government of the United Kingdom to ‘Red List’ Kenya and to stop all travel from Kenya to the United Kingdom will have deep and far-reaching consequences on the Kenya-UK trade, travel, tourism security cooperation among other sectors,” said the Kenyan government in a statement.
Travelers arriving in the UK from countries on the red list will be denied entry, amid a surge in Covid cases in the world.
Britons will be required to go on mandatory quarantine in government-approved hotels at their cost.
The passenger flights ban by Kenya has triggered a sharp rise in airfare from Nairobi to London as travelers race to avoid being stranded.
National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) is charging up to Kshs.290,000 for a one-way ticket to London on today’s flights, from the normal average of Kshs.59,000.
However the demand for travel from London to Nairobi remains low, with a one-way ticket retailing for Kshs.55,795.