Kenya Airways (KQ) has decided to suspend its flights to Kinshasa indefinitely, citing the detention of its staff members as the reason.
Two employees of Kenya Airways were detained by Congo’s military intelligence on April 19, reportedly due to missing customs documentation for certain valuable cargo. The airline clarified that it refused to accept the cargo because the shipper’s paperwork was incomplete.
Despite a military court’s directive for their release to facilitate due process, the airline stated on Monday that its employees remained in detention.
Kenya Airways expressed that the prolonged detention of its staff has impeded its ability to oversee operations in Kinshasa. Consequently, it announced its decision to suspend flights from Tuesday until it can adequately support these operations.
“We continue cooperating with the investigating agencies and the relevant government entities in both DRC and Kenya to ensure this matter is resolved. we ask that the military courts direction that they be released to allow due to process to be respected so that our innocent staff can be returned to their families and everyday lives without harassment,” stated CEO Allan Kilavuka in a Kenya Airways statement.
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