•This is even as the airline partnered with the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) to strategically position Kenya as a tourist destination in North America through a trade roadshow
•The aim of the roadshow is to showcase Kenya and stimulate travel demand for the country
Image: FILE
Kenya Airways has introduced two additional flights on the New York route to cater for growing travel demands.
KQ in a statement on Friday said the two additional flights are aimed to compliment the increasing demand for travel to Kenya between June 15 to 28th September 28, 2024, covering the summer peak season.
"This move brings the number of weekly flights to nine with Thursday and Saturday providing guests with the option of two flights (morning and afternoon) out of New York," KQ said in a statement.
"In addition to the direct flight advantage, the new schedule also offers guests a unique, convenient same-day arrival flight option (morning departure from Nairobi and afternoon arrival in New York)," it added.
This comes as the airline has teamed up with the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) to promote Kenya as a tourist destination in North America through a trade roadshow.
The roadshow is set to happen from March 19 to 21, 2024, in New York, Boston, and Toronto.
The goal of the roadshow is to highlight Kenya and generate interest in traveling to the country.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, international tourist arrivals into Kenya hit 1.75 million in 2023, up from 1.48 million recorded in 2022.
This signals increased demand which is expected to boost the international tourist arrivals by 825,000 annually.
Kenya Airways introduced the direct route between New York and Nairobi in 2018.
In February 2017, Kenya was granted Category One status, paving the way for US Federal Aviation Administration officials to approve non-stop direct flights between Nairobi and New York.
This created an entry point to East Africa, facilitating both business and leisure travel in the region.
In February, the airline resumed direct flights to Mogadishu, Somalia, after a three-year hiatus.
The company stated it would operate flights to Mogadishu three times a week. Flights to the country were temporarily halted in August 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The flights are scheduled every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday starting from USD 1,050 (Sh160,751).
KQ said the move aligns with the increasing business and the growing number of air travel between Kenya and Somalia.
The Airline has also resumed direct flights to Bangkok, three years after it suspended the route over the Covid-19 pandemic.