KENYA AIRWAYS ENHANCES KIGALI / BUJUMBURA CONNECTIVITY
(Posted 01st August 2013)
Kenya Airways has just announced that their daily flights from Nairobi to Kigali / Rwanda and to Bujumbura / Burundi will be enhanced to provide yet better connectivity between the two westernmost member states of the East African Community and their hub in Nairobi, from where the region connects to the entire KQ network across Africa, Europe, the Middle and Far East, and vice versa.
The Pride of Africa has with immediate effect introduced additional city pairs to both capitals routing four times a week Nairobi Kigali Bujumbura Nairobi and three times a week Nairobi Bujumbura Kigali Nairobi.
The twice daily direct flights, in the mornings and evenings, to each of the two East African cities are in addition to the existing flights from Nairobi, passing through Kigali and Bujumbura and back every day.
In the mornings, the new direct flight to Kigali will depart Nairobi at 07.45 hours Kenyan time every day while at 09.05 hours Rwandan time – there is an hour time difference between the two cities – it will set off for the return flight. In the evenings, it will leave Nairobi at 17.00 hours Kenyan time for Kigali, departing Kigali at 18.20 hours Rwandan time.The direct flights to Bujumbura will leave Nairobi at 08.10 hours Kenyan time every morning while the return flight will depart at 09.40 hours Burundian time, also considering the one hour time difference with Nairobi. The evening flight leaves Nairobi at 17.30 hours Kenyan time, returning from Bujumbura at 19.00 hours.
Kenya Airways’ Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Titus Naikuni, said that the new service aims at enhancing convenient travel and trade amongst East African countries following the implementation of the common market protocol that paved way for free movement of people, goods and services within the region.
‘These twice a day direct flights from Nairobi to Kigali and Bujumbura tie in with our plans to fly to every African capital by 2016 as we seek to contribute to the sustainable development of Africa’ was Dr. Naikuni quoted in a media release just received here.
The new direct flights to Kigali and Bujumbura add to Kenya Airways’ current combined night flight that serves the two cities. Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, this flight departs from Nairobi at 23.50 hours (Kenyan time) for Kigali, leaves Kigali for Bujumbura at 01.05 (Rwandan time) and arrives back in Nairobi at 05.20 hours (Kenyan time). On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the flight leaves Nairobi for Bujumbura at 23.50 hours (Kenyan time), leaves Bujumbura for Kigali at 01.25 hours (Burundian time) and arrives back in Nairobi at 05.25 hours (Kenyan time) from Kigali. All services are operated on a two class Embraer E190 jet, which has over the past few years become the regional workhorse aircraft. Two more E190’s are expected to be delivered in Nairobi this year, the first additional brand new aircraft this month and one more in a few weeks time. Watch this space for regular and breaking news from Eastern Africa’s aviation industry.
