NONSTOP OR NOT NONSTOP – US GOVERNMENT DECISION DUE BY MARCH THIS YEAR
(Posted 13th January 2015)
Information received from Nairobi suggests that come March will the US authorities take a final decision if Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will get Category 1 certification, a prerequisite to commence nonstop flights between Kenya and the United States of America.
It is understood that an audit will be carried out with particular focus on the new Terminal 1A and the separation of traffic flows of arriving and departing passengers, which in the old terminals, the former Units 1 and 2, was impossible to accomplish. Various measures ‘recommended’ by the FAA, or demanded more like it, have been incorporated in the final design of Terminal 1A to comply with US requirements and new security features too have been implemented, from perimeter fencing and surveillance to the latest technologies inside the terminals. Also under review during the audit will be areas like emergency procedures.
Kenya Airways, now that the airline is expecting Dreamliners 7, 8 and 9 over the coming months, has repeatedly in the past expressed the desire to commence nonstop flights to the US. SkyTeam alliance partner Delta Airlines, twice at the verge of launching flights and every time pulled back by the US authorities at the last moment, also wants to come to Kenya, probably in code share with KQ, each of the two carriers operating several flights per week to start with. The nonstop flights would effectively cut down on travelling time and avoid obtaining the often costly transit Visa needed for instance in the UK, making visits to the US from Kenya easier and more affordable. Nonstop flights are also thought to be a boost for tourism and trade between the two countries, when finally put into place.
The US, together with other Western countries, has in the past slapped harsh antitravel advisories on Kenya and their embassy in Nairobi repeatedly pulled extreme stunts like prohibiting staff to travel to Mombasa, all quietly pulled back a few days later but causing serious fallout for coastal resorts when cancellations began raining down on them. While many travelers in this day and age regularly ignore such travel warnings has the negative publicity nevertheless done damage to Kenya’s reputation abroad and many stakeholders in the tourism industry felt singled out for reasons other than security concerns.
Come March, when the audits are completed, will Kenya know if nonstop flights can be launched and it is then up to the respective airlines to announce dates, so watch this space for updates as and when available.
