The national carrier, KQ will resume its New York flights this Saturday after the seventh-month hiatus brought in by Covid-19 as the airline opens up more routes after resumptions of international flights in August.
Chief executive officer Allan Kilavuka said KQ has so far registered a 40 percent cabin factor load in early bookings for the first trip to New York.
The New York route is a vital destination for KQ as it used its hub at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to connect passengers to the US from other countries.
The carrier had forecast its daily direct flights to the US, which it launched two years ago, would boost annual revenue by more than 10 percent in 2019 and 2020.
“We are resuming the New York route on 31st (Saturday) with the first flight so far recording a 40 percent cabin load,” said Kilavuka.
Kilavuka said he noted that KQ remained fretful on the impact of US elections on the New York direct flights.
Americans will be heading to the polls on November 3 to send either Joe Biden or Donald Trump to the Oval office.
Kenya Airways will first operate two weekly flights – Wednesday and Sundays on the Nairobi – New York route before increasing the frequency to three times a week- Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
A month ago KQ expanded its codeshare partnership with the US Delta Air Lines as it prepared for the resumption of the New York flights.
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The partnership will link travelers on direct flights to three new points including San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas.
The codeshares provide a one-stop option for travelers from Kenya to other regions in North America
The direct flights to the US reduce the journey to 15 hours and travelers are no longer needed to take long layovers in other airports before proceeding to the US.
