The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has suspended flights to and from Somalia with immediate effect.
Through a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, KCAA said the suspension will last for three months from May 11 to August 9 this year.
Only humanitarian deliveries and medical evacuation flights will be allowed into the country.
Flights from Somalia passing through the Kenyan airspace to another destination will be exempted from the ban. Also, military flights which are not within the jurisdiction of the KCAA will be exempted.
This comes a day after Somalia insisted on ban of miraa (khart) from Kenya despite the two nations restoring diplomatic ties.
In a statement on Monday, the Somali Civil Aviation authority (SCAA) said that it would not allow miraa (khart) into its airports.
“Somali Civil Aviation authority (SCAA) has the honor to inform all The operators that Carrying Mirra to Somalia is still prohibited, and the Policy of the Federal Government of Somalia did not change regarding the transportation of Miraa to Somalia airports,” said SCAA director-general Ahmed Moallin Hassan.
Read: Somalia Refuses To Lift Ban On Miraa From Kenya Despite Restoring Diplomatic Ties
“Transporting Miraa without clearance from SCAA will be considered unlawful act and Violation of Somali Airspace. Thus Somali Civil Aviation Authority would like to strongly advice all Operators to not act on transporting Miraa to Somalia until further notice from the Authority.”
On May 6, 2021, Somalia announced the restoration of diplomatic relations with Kenya after mediation by the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Al Thani.
In a statement, the Federal Government of Somalia said it was restoring the relations in the “interests of good neighborliness”.
“The two governments agree to keep friendly relations between the two countries on the basis of principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful co-existence. The Presidents of both countries are grateful and thankful to the Emir of State of Qatar for his good offices in this regard,” the statement read in part.
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