Opening of Mombasa Skies Integral to the Growth of Tourism and the Blue Economy

Executive Summary

The Yamoussoukro Declaration of 1999 on the easing up of rules and regulations of national airports for African airlines was meant to liberalize the regional market and competition. Despite being a signatory to the Single African Air Market (SAATM), Kenya stopped African airlines from landing directly at the national airport in Mombasa, except for Ethiopian Airlines. This has been directly extended to non-African international airlines. The coastal hub’s status as Kenya’s tourism and blue economy hotspot depends on a consistent and large flow of international leisure and business arrivals. Constraints to open skies
are therefore a continued impediment to this effort. While the employment of protectionist policies may favor national carriers, the social and economic implications are however regressive and widespread. Decisions by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure to reverse international flights from landing directly at Kenya’s airports of Mombasa, Kisumu, and Malindi are associated with high airport charges, taxes, and air tickets due to monopolization of the routes by Kenya Airways and its subsidiary. Resultantly, it restricts the opening of markets for the direct export of domestically produced goods. It also depresses passenger numbers which drive job creation in the tourism and blue economy sector. To revamp tourism, restoration of consistent foreign tourist flow through improved accessibility to direct air traffic remains vital. Alternatively, Kenya’s premier destination will not save it from competitive destinations of Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam that allow and promote direct flights to their national airports.