Kenya Airways suspends flights to Liberia, Sierra Leone

Kenya Airways has suspended flights to and from Ebola-stricken Liberia and Sierra Leone but will continue operations in Nigeria.

The airline in a statement Saturday, said the operational decision will take effect at midnight Tuesday August 19, 2014.

“This operational decision effective Tuesday August 19, 2014 midnight is based on the situation risk assessment by Kenya’s Ministry of Health,” Kenya Airways CEO Titus Naikuni said in a statement.

The two West African countries have been hit by an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus disease that has killed more than of 1,100 people in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone in the past six weeks.

KQ had Thursday resisted heavy pressure to stop flying to the West African markets that have been abandoned by some of the world’s major airlines including British Airways and Lufthansa.

Mr Naikuni said that flights to Nigeria and Ghana had not been suspended.

“However, in the interest of public safety for both our guests and staff, we reserve the right to cancel our flights to any other destination should the situation warrant,” he said.

KQ said it will reimburse passengers who had book and paid for tickets on the suspended flights prior to the cancellation.