Kenya Airways (KQ, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) has had its 5th Freedom traffic rights between Lilongwe and Lusaka revoked by the Malawian Department of Civil Aviation with effect from February 28, 2014.
"Passengers holding tickets with Kenya Airways between Lilongwe and Lusaka will be offered a full refund on un-utilised tickets, a partial refund for tickets partially utilised or the option of re-routing on Kenya Airways services via Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta," the airline said in a statement.
The revocation is unsurprising given the recent launch of the new national carrier, Malawi Airlines (3W, Lilongwe), a joint venture between Kenya Airways' rival, Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa International), the Malawian government and the Malawian public.
The Kenyan national carrier was awarded the rights when the now defunct national airline, Air Malawi (Blantyre), was experiencing serious operational problems prior to its dissolution in early 2013.
