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Kenya’s national carrier has taken the drastic step of suspending all flights to the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s capital Kinshasa from April 30th, citing the “continued detention” of two employees by Congolese military intelligence.
Through a customer update, Kenya Airways (KQ) said it could no longer support operations in Kinshasa without key personnel to oversee areas like customer service, ground handling and cargo. The airline appealed for its “innocent staff” to be treated humanely and respectfully during their “unlawful detention.”
“We reached a difficult decision to suspend flights…until we can effectively support these flights,” said Group CEO Allan Kilavuka. “The continued detention has made it difficult to supervise our operations in Kinshasa.”
The dramatic move escalates a simmering dispute after Congolese authorities detained the pair on April 19th over alleged customs violations related to valuable cargo meant for transport the previous week. Despite a court order for their release, the staff remain in custody.
KQ accused the military of “harassment targeting Kenya Airways’ business” and said the detentions violated due process. It apologized to customers affected by the flight suspensions, vowing their “safety and well-being” was the top priority.
The airline’s combative stance was backed by the Kenyan government, which objected strenuously to the “arrest and detention” of its nationals lawfully conducting business in the DRC. “Kenya takes great exception to (this)…by authorities in DRC,” said foreign ministry official Korir Sing’oei.
The detentions come at a sensitive time for relations between the two countries, which have previously clashed over issues like trade and regional security. Analysts said the flight suspensions could escalate the diplomatic row and disrupt a vital transport link unless quickly resolved.
