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Delta Postpones Maiden US-Kenya direct flight |
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Written by Updates
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Tuesday, 02 June 2009 |
Delta Air Lines has postponed indefinitely its maiden flight to Nairobi from Atlanta. The 12-hour flight, with an hour stopover in Dakar, was set to be the first direct flight by a US airline to Kenya.
In what appears to be a last minute decision, Delta says that their decision to postpone is pending review on Delta's travel routes by the US Department of Homeland Security.
The start of Delta Air Lines new direct flight from Nairobi to Atlanta has been postponed indefinitely following a decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that the agency required more time to review these flights.
It is unclear why the decision to cancel was made in the last hours before Wednesday's flight. Ali Makwere, the Minister for Transport, was scheduled to fly on Delta's maiden flight. He made the announcement on Saturday at Madaraka Day celebrations in Minnesota.
The Daily Nation reports,
However, the Kenya Government while acknowledging that the flight had been cancelled said it was in the dark over the reason.
“The
reasons for the postponement by Delta are still not very clear,” said a
statement posted on the government spokesman’s website.
“The
Government of Kenya has complied with all the additional security
measures requested by Delta and Nairobi airports' security is
excellent,” it added.
Dr Mutua said he hoped Delta Airlines would seize the opportunity to fly to Kenya.
Below is a statement from Delta Airlines:
Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) has been notified by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that the Transportation Security Administration will require more time to approve Delta’s planned direct flights to Nairobi, Kenya and Monrovia, Liberia. Delta in response issued the following statement:
“Delta regrets any inconvenience to our customers caused by the postponement of our new direct service to Kenya and Liberia. The airline is proactively contacting customers to reaccommodate them on long-established connecting flights offered by our joint venture partners Air France-KLM and other SkyTeam member airlines, which carry Americans to these destinations in Africa through their European hubs.
“Delta appreciates DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano’s continued focus on finalizing approvals for Delta’s direct service to Africa as quickly as possible. Delta in October 2008 notified the U.S. government of its plans to offer new service to Kenya and Liberia. However, Delta was informed only yesterday by DHS that it would require additional time to approve these new flights.
“Africa continues to be an important region for Delta. Delta is the only airline offering scheduled service between the United States and Africa, currently serving six destinations in five countries: Accra, Ghana; Cairo, Egypt; Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa; Lagos, Nigeria; and Dakar, Senegal. This week Delta upgraded its service between Atlanta and Johannesburg, South Africa, to a nonstop flight operated with a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft featuring 180-degree full flat seats in its BusinessElite cabin.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 02 June 2009 )
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