Gaborone — A press conference to announce plans for the launch of a direct flight between Kenya and Botswana was cancelled on Tuesday without explanation.

The press conference in the Botswana capital Gaborone was scheduled for two o'clock (3pm East African Time).

The Kenya High Commission in Gaborone told the Nation on Monday that senior Kenya Airways officials from Nairobi were scheduled to arrive in Gaborone on Tuesday morning to address the afternoon press conference.

But on Tuesday, the Kenya Airways office in Gaborone said the press conference has been postponed indefinitely. No reasons were given for the postponement. Efforts to revive direct air connection between Kenya and Botswana have been going since 2000 without much success and the postponement of the press conference suggests that there might be problems.

Direct air links between Nairobi and Gaborone by Kenya Airways and Air Botswana were cut in early 1990s because the route was not profitable for the two state air lines. Botswana is mainly accessed by air through OR Tambo International Airport in neighbouring South Africa.

The new bid to link Botswana and Kenya directly by air is part of Kenya Airways plans to expand its routes in southern Africa. Besides Botswana, reports say the Kenya national intends to open routes to Namibia, Angola and Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo.