Transport CS James Macharia has exuded confidence Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will be certified fit for US direct flights.
He said the ongoing security audit by an American security agency will confirm the country's readiness for the flights to New York.
"We are confident that this final audit will see direct flights. Previously, we had 180 issues flagged out but all have been adequately addressed," Macharia said.
The American security agency jetted into the country on Monday.
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JKIA was in February last year given Category One status following several audits by the US air agency - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Macharia told the Star on Wednesday that security arrangements that had been flagged off by the audit team has been adequately dealt with.
"The impact of the direct flight to the Gross Domestic Product will be substantial as Kenya will be a hub," he said.
Macharia said the auditing team is expected to end their work on Thursday by noon.
The final audit is critical as Kenya Airways plans to start direct flights to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York on October 28.
The Economic Survey 2018 shows that the
number of passengers handled at JKIA increased by 2.2 per cent to 7.3 million in 2017.
The survey further showed that the international passenger arrivals increased by 7.0 per cent from 2.8 million in 2016 to 3 million in 2017.
The statistics from the Kenya Tourism Board also shows that tourists from the US grew 16.3 per cent to 95,771 between January and October last year up from 82,363 visitors recorded in the same period in 2016.
Macharia said exports such as flowers will reach the foreign markets while they are still fresh.
The CS further said the direct flight will cut travel time to the United States by half.
Macharia said the number of travellers using JKIA is set to increase two times the current number.
Kenya Flower Council
CEO
Jane Ngige echoed Macharia's sentiments saying the direct flight will come as reprieve to many.
"Currently, we export our produce via Netherlands and South Africa. This makes it difficult to know how much of our produce go to USA because they loose the identity in this two countries before they go to the market."
Ngige said the direct flights are expected to reduce the cost of transporting flowers.
She said 40 per cent of imports from Kenya goes to the European countries.
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