Kenya, Ethiopian Airways cancel flights to Malawi over strike
Kenya Airways (KQ) on Wednesday said it has cancelled flights to and from Lilongwe, Malawi indefinitely after striking state workers shut down the main airport following a wage strike by civil servants.
In a statement made available to Nyasa Times, KQ which flies to Malawian capital, Lilongwe, 10 times a week, cancelled one flight on Wednesday while two more are expected to be cancelled on Thursday.
KQ said it is monitoring the situation in Malawi.
“Kenya Airways station offices in Nairobi, Lilongwe and Lusaka will provide assistance in re-routing and re-booking on other airlines for the passengers who were already booked on the cancelled Kenya Airways flights,” reads the statement.
Ethiopian Airlines has also cancelled flights to Lilongwe.
The strike started last week, but it has since escalated, with state schools also affected. Nurses and doctors have also threatened to join the strike.
The civil servants strike has increased pressure on President Joyce Banda, Africa’s second female president, who entered into office in 2012 after Bingu wa Mutharika’s death.
Banda has been working to repair relations with key donors, including the International Monetary Fund, and pursuing tough economic reforms.
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