Kenya has signed a deal with state-owned Ethiopian Airlines to operate passenger planes grounded due to the coronavirus pandemic for shipment of cargos to Nairobi and other regions in the world, the media reported.
The deal allows Ethiopian Airlines to fly cargos using six of its passenger planes from Mombasa, Kenya to Nigeria and other regions in Asia and Europe.
Ethiopian Airlines is expected to ship fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers and meat which are currently scarce in Europe due to Coronavirus that has the global supply chain.
The deal came as a surprise to many, as the Kenyan government contacted Ethiopian Airlines and not its state-owned Kenya Airways.
Kenya Airways’ chief executive Allan Kilavuk told the media, “We have objected the move to have Ethiopian Airlines use their passenger flights for cargo business in Kenya because we were not consulted on the impact that this would have on our business.”
“Anytime you have a carrier wanting to come to your domain, you need to be consulted so that you are not disadvantaged at your main market.”
According to media reports, Kenya Airways has suspended 90 percent of its fleet to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Ethiopian Airlines too, has cancelled most of its flights to deal with the pandemic. At these difficult times, the airlines are depending on their logistics units to sustain themselves and remain afloat.
Last month, the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) revealed that airlines in Africa could lose around $4.4 billion in revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since the estimation was based till March 11, the current number is expected to be significantly higher.