WHILE FACING AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE DOES ALITALIA NEVERTHELESS EYE A RETURN TO NAIROBI
(Posted 17th November 2017)
Italy’s national airline Alitalia, struggling to stay afloat and depending on government bailouts, has announced a return to Nairobi next year while at the same time also confirming planned flights to Johannesburg.
Since the pullout of Etihad, which had pumped mega money into the airline but failed to implement a turnaround when militant unions repeatedly voted down proposals under the threat of a strike, has the airline gone technically bankrupt and is under administration, seeking new investors – a commodity hard to come by given the history of the airline.
Nairobi will initially be served from 28th of March 2018 with four weekly flights using an Airbus A330 to NBO while the services to JNB are due to commence on 08th of April 2018, also serving the route four times a week..
Alitalia is a SkyTeam member, an airline group to which Kenya Airways also belongs and the new flights to Nairobi have given hope to many Italian owned resorts in Malindi and Watamu that an onward connecting flight with Kenya Airways / Jambojet to Malindi Airport will boost arrival numbers as a result of improved travel times.
