A Kenya Airways plane. The airline will start direct flights to New York in October. [Photo/Seatguru]
Kenya will be the first East African country to have a direct flight from Nairobi to New York.
The long wait for the maiden trip between the two cities is finally over, after the company set October 28, 2018, as the day the first flight will leave Nairobi for the USA.
Kenya Airways on Thursday started to sell the tickets for the inaugural flight, which will be the first from East Africa to operate a non-stop flight to New York.
Fare prices will vary with the time one has booked, with early flights benefiting from reduced prices.
Prices will cost as low as Sh90,000, with the ultra-long flight requiring four pilots, and 12 flight attendants as well as 85 tones of fuel either way.
The US remains one of the most competitive destinations for global airlines.
The 14-hour flight will depart from Nairobi’s JKIA AT 23:25hrs, and from New York’s JFK at 1225 hrs.
The US remains Kenya’s biggest tourist source market and KQ will be banking on the number of tourists as well as businessmen to make the route profitable.
The Kenya Tourism Board has lauded Kenya Airways for the move, saying it was a big win for the sector in the country.