KENYA AIRWAYS PREPARES TO LAUNCH ABU DHABI FLIGHTS IN JULY
Kenya Airways has now confirmed that they will commence flights to Abu Dhabi, initially three times a week, using a two class B737-800NG. KQ 316 will be leaving at 19.25 hrs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to reach Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates at 01.05 hrs local UAE time, before returning to Nairobi with an ETA at 05.55 hrs the next morning being Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Etihad, the national airline of Abu Dhabi, is presently flying daily between Abu Dhabi and Nairobi, using an Airbus A320. The inaugural flight will leave Nairobi on the 01st of July this year.
The flights are part of a partnership agreement signed a few weeks ago between the two airline CEO’s. Naikuni and Hogan, in which the two carriers agreed on a wide range of cooperation measures. This is likely to have come as a result of Etihad and major KQ shareholder KLM / Air France aligning themselves with code shared flights between Amsterdam and Paris to Abu Dhabi, as well as other areas, thought to benefit the clients of both airlines with a wider range of flights.
The move is also seen as a strategic expansion and widening of Etihad’s network into Africa, where they are presently underrepresented but can now use the flights of Kenya Airways via Nairobi to reach literally any part of the continent, before by the end of next year The Pride of Africa will be flying to every political and commercial capital in Africa. Watch this space for breaking and regular aviation news from across Eastern Africa.
