GULF AIR PLANS RETURN TO NAIROBI
A regular aviation source in Nairobi has confirmed that Gulf Air is planning to return to Kenya by mid year, apparently with an initial four flight a week. The same source also confirmed that the airline will use an Airbus A320 with a dual configuration of business and economy class.
Gulf used to fly to all East African countries but was progressively pushed to the wall in terms of market dominance, when other airlines came to the region in force, while at the same time the erstwhile shareholders of Gulf Air progressively withdrew from the airline to form their own national carriers.
Considering the number of frequencies Emirates and Qatar Airways are already operating from Nairobi to the Gulf, the presence of Oman Air and of course the flights by Kenya Airways, it remains to be seen if a four flights a week strategy will yield the results Gulf is hoping for. Air Arabia only recently announced they would go ‘daily’ too, making it a challenge for the ‘returnee’ to make a success out of their new route.
In a related development it could not be confirmed at short notice if Gulf also has plans to return to Entebbe and Dar es Salaam, and with which airlines in the region they intend to sign commercial agreements to feed and de-feed to their Nairobi flights.
Watch this space for the most up to date aviation information from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region.
