The Congolese military in Kinshasa has yet to release Kenya Airways staff who were arrested. The national carrier suspended its flights to Kinshasa due to staffing issues.
This decision caused a shortage of air seats, leading to a crisis at the country’s airport. Travellers on the Congo route are now stranded due to Kenya Airways’ suspension of flights. The airline made this decision after two of its staff members were arrested and detained by the Congolese Military Intelligence Unit.
How many Airlines serve Kinshasa?
The reduction in the number of airlines operating in Congo’s airspace to two, Ethiopian and Uganda Airlines, occurred after RwandAir was banned two years ago.
Kenya Airways’ withdrawal from Congolese airspace could potentially cause an air transport crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as reported by the East African. Following KQ’s exit, the number of available passenger seats per week decreased by 1,813. This resulted in the removal of 259 air seats provided by Kenya Airways daily from the airspace, leading passengers to compete for the reduced supply.
Kenya Airways’ CEO, Allan Kilavuka, stated that flights will resume only after the staffing issue is resolved.
“The continued detention of our employees has made it difficult for us to supervise our operations in Kinshasa, which include customer service, ground handling, cargo activities, and generally ensuring safe, secure, and efficient operations. We also ask that our staff be treated humanely and respectfully during this unlawful detention,” said Kilavuka in a statement released on April 29, 2024.
Why KQ staff were arrested
The military in Kinshasa arrested the two staff members on Friday, April 19, over allegations of missing documentation related to valuable cargo.
Kilavuka mentioned that officials from the Kenyan embassy and a small number of Kenya Airways staff were permitted to visit the detained employees, albeit briefly. The airline maintained that the disputed cargo was not yet on the air side for transportation but was still in the baggage section undergoing clearance.
