Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced that all flights to Kinshasa will be suspended beginning April 30th, 2024, in protest of the detention of its employees by the Military Intelligence Unit. 

KQ stated on Monday that without its staff, it would be unable to effectively support its flights to Kinshasa. 

"We reached a difficult decision to suspend flights to Kinshasa effective 30TH April 2024 until we can effectively support these flights," KQ said. 

"The continued detention of our employees has made it difficult for us to supervise our operations in Kinshasa, which include customer service, ground handling, cargo activities, and generally ensuring safe, secure, and efficient operations."

Kenya Airways also requested that its detained employees be treated with dignity and respect, and that they be released as soon as possible. 

The airline assured affected customers that measures are in place to mitigate any inconvenience caused by the flight suspension.

 Customers have been advised to contact the customer excellence team through various channels for assistance.

At the same time, the airline reiterated its commitment to working with investigating agencies and relevant government entities in both the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Kenya to resolve the situation. 

"We continue to work diligently with authorities to seek the release of our innocent staff so they can reunite with their families and resume their normal lives," KQ said.