Kenya visa waiver ‘a boon’ for air travel, but will it drive down fares? ticket prices?

Kenya’s visa waiver for all foreigners has been hailed as a bold move that other countries should embrace to spur liberalisation of the African airspace, with the ripple effect of increased travel, but industry experts caution that the sector still grapples with safety targets, Fifth Freedom controls and taxes, which are even a bigger impediments to lowering of ticket prices. “It shall no longer be necessary for any person from any corner of the globe to carry the burden of applying for a visa to come to Kenya,” said President William Ruto on December 12, 2023. The visa waiver – effective January 2024 – is consistent with President Ruto’s call since he assumed Kenya’s presidency in September 2022, to other African leaders to remove impediments to free movement of people, to facilitate ease of travel and doing business on the continent. The move by Kenya – and Rwanda which also dropped visa requirements for African travellers – is a boon for intra-Africa connectivity that aviation experts and reformers have been pushing for decades, to drive down the price of tickets. “Lifting of visa requirements by Rwanda and Kenya in the region should be lauded as a positive move towards reducing fares,” says Adikiny H. Olwenge, an air transport and aviation expert at the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa).<br/>