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KQ introduces two more weekly flights to New York

A Kenya Airways plane. (Photo: File/KQ)

By Bashir Mohammed | Saturday, March 16, 2024

KQ anticipates that the increased flights will stimulate travel demand for Kenya among travelers from North America.

National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced the introduction of two more weekly flights to New York as part of the airline's bid to bolster connectivity and enhance tourism between Kenya and the United States.

In a statement on Thursday, KQ highlighted that the two additional flights will commence effective June 15 and end on September 28, 2024, bringing the total number of flights on the route to nine.

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KQ anticipates that the increased flights will stimulate travel demand for Kenya among travellers from North America.

“KQ has partnered with the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) to strategically position Kenya as a tourist destination in North America through a trade roadshow. The roadshow, scheduled to take place from March 19–21, 2024, in New York, Boston, and Toronto, aims to showcase Kenya and stimulate travel demand for the country,” said KQ.

“To complement the growing appetite for travel to Kenya, Kenya Airways has introduced two (2) additional flights on the New York route between June 15 and September 28, 2024, covering the summer peak season.”

The airline added that the new flight schedule will present customers with a same-day arrival flight option where travellers depart from Nairobi in the morning and arrive in New York in the afternoon on the same day. The same-day arrival option will only be available on Thursdays and Saturdays.

KQ first introduced direct flights to New York in October 2018, becoming the second airline after Ethiopia Airlines to offer a non-stop flight between East Africa and the United States of America.

The route was, however, suspended in January 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic before being reintroduced in November 2020.

The route was initially meant to be restored in October 2020, but it was postponed due to a rise in flight booking cancellations to the city.