DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) has been denied permission for direct
flights to Nairobi, Kenya and Monrovia, Liberia until the airports
meet security standards or until U.S. regulators change their
assessment of security threats in the region.
The Transportation Security Administration called the current
threat to civil aviation in east Africa too significant to allow
the flights, but said it will continue to monitor the situation.
The routes were slated to begin within days.
Delta was notified by TSA and the Department of Homeland
Security that the agencies will need more time before clearing the
requests, without giving a specific timetable. In the meantime,
Delta said it is working to accommodate customers on its connecting
flights or through its joint venture partners.
"Africa continues to be an important region for Delta," the
airline said. "Delta is the only airline offering scheduled service
between the United States and Africa, currently serving six
destinations in five countries."
The TSA said it denied Delta's 2008 proposal to begin air
service to the two cities, after security assessments at the
airports. TSA approved an accompanying request to fly into Abuja,
Nigeria. However it noted security vulnerabilities in and around
Nairobi, as well as the failure to meet safety recommendations set
by the International Civil Aviation Organization at Roberts
International Airport in Monrovia.
Kenya Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula told Reuters on
Wednesday that the government has summoned the U.S. ambassador to
Kenya to explain the last-minute cancellation.
While Delta and other major airlines have been cutting capacity
amid a slump in consumer and business travel, Delta has been trying
to expand its international reach, forging an alliance with
Franco-Dutch carrier Air France-KLM (AFLYY) in April.
Delta shares recently were recently down 1.3% at $6.79. The
stock is down 41% this year.
-By Tess Stynes, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-2473;
tess.stynes@dowjones.com