Tanzania says it has lifted ban on Kenya Airways flights

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania said on Tuesday it had reinstated approval for Kenyan national carrier Kenya Airways to operate flights between the Kenyan capital Nairobi and Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

In a tit-for-tat move, Tanzania announced on Monday it had banned Kenya Airways flights after Nairobi refused to grant a request to Tanzania's national carrier Air Tanzania to operate cargo flights between both nations.

In a statement on Tuesday, Tanzania said that request had now been granted.

"Following this development, the aeronautical authorities of the United Republic of Tanzania hereby withdraw its decision of 15 January 2024 and therefore approval for Kenya Airways to operate... between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, is hereby restored," state-run Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.

Tanzania has been investing heavily on reviving its national carrier since 2016 by expanding its fleet, routes and operations to tap the local and regional markets.

Kenya Airways is one of Africa's largest airlines and Tanzania, where attractions including mountains and vast wildlife reserves draw more than a million tourists a year, is one of its biggest markets.

(Reporting by Nuzulack Dausen; Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Christina Fincher)