PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Kenya Airways begins direct flights to New York
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenya Airways launched direct flights to New York on Sunday, making Kenya to become the eighth African country to have direct flights to the US, officials said.
"It is historic for Kenya's aviation sector to witness the inaugural direct flight between Nairobi and New York finally take off," President Uhuru Kenyatta remarked after flagging off the inaugural flight.
President Kenyatta said the direct air link between Kenya and the US presents great opportunities in trade, tourism and people-to-people relations.
He said the launch of the direct flights marks a historic day for Kenya and a great milestone for "our country's efforts to enhance trade, commerce and people-to-people relations between our nation and the United States of America".
"The people of Kenya and the people of the US are now much closer than they have ever been before, thus bridging a gap between Africa and the Western hemisphere and strengthening the shared values between our two countries," Kenyatta said.
Nairobi joins other African countries including Ethiopia, Senegal, Cape Verde, Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa with direct flights to New York.
The 15-hour flight to New York is expected to operate daily on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner with a capacity of 234 passengers.
The Kenyan Airways flight to New York began just hours after a Kenyan court stopped Kenyan Airways workers from going on strike ahead of the launch.
Kenya and the US signed bilateral air service agreements which opened the doors for Kenya to begin direct flights.
In 2012, the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority said it was modernising the country's air communication network to achieve category one status with the US Federal Aviation Administration.
-0- PANA AO/MA 29Oct2018
"It is historic for Kenya's aviation sector to witness the inaugural direct flight between Nairobi and New York finally take off," President Uhuru Kenyatta remarked after flagging off the inaugural flight.
President Kenyatta said the direct air link between Kenya and the US presents great opportunities in trade, tourism and people-to-people relations.
He said the launch of the direct flights marks a historic day for Kenya and a great milestone for "our country's efforts to enhance trade, commerce and people-to-people relations between our nation and the United States of America".
"The people of Kenya and the people of the US are now much closer than they have ever been before, thus bridging a gap between Africa and the Western hemisphere and strengthening the shared values between our two countries," Kenyatta said.
Nairobi joins other African countries including Ethiopia, Senegal, Cape Verde, Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa with direct flights to New York.
The 15-hour flight to New York is expected to operate daily on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner with a capacity of 234 passengers.
The Kenyan Airways flight to New York began just hours after a Kenyan court stopped Kenyan Airways workers from going on strike ahead of the launch.
Kenya and the US signed bilateral air service agreements which opened the doors for Kenya to begin direct flights.
In 2012, the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority said it was modernising the country's air communication network to achieve category one status with the US Federal Aviation Administration.
-0- PANA AO/MA 29Oct2018
