Delta Air Lines said that it is canceling a new direct link between the Kenya capital Nairobi and Atlanta a day before its scheduled launch. The airline scrubbed the service after the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano decided to cancel the flight because of recommendations from the Transportation Security Administration. Delta began the process to seek permission to fly to Nigeria, Liberia and Kenya last year the Transportation Security Administration did not clear the flights into Liberia and Kenya for security reasons. Delta currently has scheduled flights into Lagos, Nigeria. The TSA said that “due to noted security vulnerabilities in and around Nairobi, and the failure to meet international security standards and appropriate recommended practices established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at the Roberts International Airport in Monrovia, it is currently denying air service by Delta to Nairobi and Monrovia until security standards are met or security threat assessments change. Delta issued a statement saying that it “regrets any inconvenience to our customers caused by the postponement of our new direct service to Kenya and Liberia. The airline is proactively contacting customers to reaccommodate them on long-established connecting flights offered by our joint venture partners Air France-KLM and other SkyTeam member airlines, which carry Americans to these destinations in Africa through their European hubs.” For more information, visit www.delta.com.
