By Standard Digital Reporter
Korean Air will launch nonstop service on June 21 from Seoul Incheon to Nairobi, Kenya.
The move is expected to ease air travel between Northeast Asia and Africa and to make travelling the distance more convenient.
Korean Air will become the first airline that operates direct flights from Northeast Asia to Nairobi, the gateway to East Africa as well as the hottest destination in Central and South Africa.
Korean Air’s new service to Nairobi will be operated by A330-200 aircraft with a total capacity of 226 seats.
A statement issued by the airline said, the flight KE959 will depart from Seoul Incheon every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 22:15 and will arrive in Nairobi at 05:30 on the next day.
As for the return flight, KE960 will depart from Nairobi at 10:30 every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and will arrive in Seoul Incheon at 04:50 on the next day.
“The launch of Korean Air’s nonstop service between Seoul Incheon and Nairobi is not only an exciting addition to the airline’s global network, but also serves as a catalyst in facilitating travel between Northeast Asia and Africa. With only 13 hours of flying time, it will offer passengers the ultimate convenience in travelling between the two cities. The launch of this new route also means that both business and leisure travelers will be able to enjoy utmost comfort and ease during the journey travelling with Korean Air,” comments Korean Air’s Managing VP for Europe, Middle East & Africa, Mr. Jaeho Kim
Kenya is the center of East Africa where hundreds of renowned international companies and organizations are based in, including 120 foreign embassies, United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP), the United Nations Office and UN-Habitat.
Nairobi is home to an array of tourist attractions. Nicknamed as the “Safari Capital of the World”, it has several national parks where visitors can experience an intimate and authentic wildlife and nature in broad grasslands such as Serengeti, Amboseli National Park and Maasai Mara National Reserve. In addition, Zambezi River, the fourth-longest river in Africa, as well as Victoria Falls, which is designated as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, are both located in the city, which is between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Also, Republic of Mauritius and Seychelles, two of the most popular leisure destinations with luxurious resort areas, are located not far away from Kenya.
Korean Air has been serving major destinations in Africa through code-sharing with Kenya Airways, one of the SkyTeam alliance members. Passengers who purchase tickets from Korean Air and fly with Kenya Airways can also earn Korean Air mileage. Riding on the launch of new route to Nairobi as well as maintaining a close partnership with Kenya Airways, Korean Air will continue to provide passengers with a convenient schedule and wide network to Africa via its award winning hub Incheon International Airport.
Korean Air, with a fleet of 145 aircraft, is one of the world's top 20 airlines, and operates almost 400 flights per day to 119 cities in 40 countries. It is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, which together with its 15 members, offers its 487 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 14,500 daily flights covering 926 destinations in 173 countries.
In 2011, Business Traveler named Korean Air the best Asian airline for the fifth consecutive year, while Global Traveler awarded the airline with best airline in northern Asia and best airport staff/gate agent. The carrier won the 2010 global travel catering distinction award by Pax International magazine while World Traveler magazine rated it as having the world’s best inflight service. Travel & Leisure magazine readers say it is one of the world’s top 10 international airlines and readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine voted Korean Air one of the world’s top ten global airlines.
