El Al Israel Airlines (LY, Tel Aviv Ben Gurion) is set to resume services to Kenya following an 11 year hiatus. The Israeli national carrier suspended its Tel Aviv Ben Gurion to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta services in 2003 following the 2002 Mombasa terrorist attacks in which two shoulder-launched Strela 2 (SA-7) surface-to-air missiles were fired at an Arkia Israeli Airlines (IZ, Tel Aviv Ben Gurion) B757-200, 4X-BAW (msn 30179), as it took off from Mombasa. The two SAMs missed the departing aircraft.

The Israeli Embassy in Nairobi reports Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, will make the announcement in the coming days as part of 10-day working visit to Africa.

"Africa is an important goal of Israeli foreign policy, and we will make a diplomatic effort to ensure that Israel will be accepted in the coming year as an observer in the African Union," Israel's deputy Ambassador to Kenya, Yaki Lopez, said adding that flights would likely resume before year-end contingent on all necessary security clearances having been obtained.

With Kenya's internal security becoming more precarious as a result of recent Al-Shabaab incursions from Somalia, so Nairobi has increasingly sought Israel's expertise in the field of counter-terrorism operations.