Kenya Airways back to daily New York flights

Kenya Airways Chief Executive Sebastian Mikosz

NAIROBI, KENYA: National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) will resume daily flights between Nairobi and New York in June, as it looks to cash in on the summer high season.

The airline had reduced flights from seven to five a week after the launch.

The carrier, which had been flying to New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport five times a week, said it was now eyeing ease of connections for passengers to the North American market.

“The New York route continues to be a strategic route for KQ and as an airline, we are firmly committed to it as we gear up for summer 2019 season, which is a high-flying season," said KQ.

"Beginning June, Kenya Airways will increase its frequency to New York from five days a week to seven days a week. This is expected to open more opportunities for travellers to take advantage of this route during this high season,” said KQ.

It will ride on relations with US carrier Delta Airlines to offer seamless travel to 11 more cities in the US and four in Canada.

KQ Chief Executive Sebastian Mikosz said the carrier had activated its codeshare with Delta Airline, enabling travellers to connect from New York using the direct flight from Nairobi to other cities within America and Canada.

This opens more opportunities at competitive fares. “As part of our commitment to the New York route, we are proud to be a part of this partnership that will open up opportunities for our customers to access more destinations in North America through the John F Kennedy Airport,” he said.

KQ launched direct flights to the US in October last year, initially flying daily. It, however, scaled down to five flights a week only a month after the launch. The carrier said there had been a decline in demand due to the low travel season that came with winter.

The summer season corresponds with the peak season for Kenya's tourism industry - the period when tourists visit to enjoy summer holidays and witness key attractions such as the Masai Mara wildebeest migration.