Kenya Airways has announced that it’s adding two direct flights to the weekly Cape Town – Nairobi service commencing from 27 October 2019 on a Boeing 737-800.
Kenya Airways started flying the Cape Town route network in June 2016 with three flights between Cape Town and Nairobi. The addition of two direct flights on the Nairobi route will result in five non-stop flights a week.
“We are extremely excited by this announcement which shows that the new routes the partnership is helping to secure are sustainable,” said Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris which is part of the Cape Town Air Access (CTAA).
This expansion is in addition to flights already operating via Livingstone (four times a week), and Victoria Falls (3 times a week), bringing the total to 12 weekly flights added to the Cape Town network since 2018.
Western Cape Minister for Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, welcomed this announcement and said that direct connectivity has contributed to significant growth in travel between Kenya and the Western Cape.
“In 2018, 53300 two-way passengers travelled between Kenya and Cape Town, a 7% increase when compared to 2017. During January – May 2019, 23 970 two-way passengers travelled between Kenya and Cape Town, showing a significant increase of 25% when compared to the same period in 2018” said Maynier.
Cape Town Air Access is an award-winning partnership between the Western Cape Government, the City of Cape Town, Cape Town Tourism, Wesgro, South African Tourism and Airports Company South Africa, as well as private sector partners.
“Through collaborations like these, we ensure that Cape Town stays the go-to-city in Africa. With our strategic placement we are able to connect businesses to opportunities across the African continent,” added Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management in the City of Cape Town.
“Accessing tourism, trade and investment opportunities emerging in growing African economies is a key priority for the City of Cape Town.
“According to Wesgro’s research, over half of the companies surveyed on their Africa strategy found that Cape Town was the best or one of the best cities for doing business on the continent. Greater connectivity will make our City even more attractive. We therefore warmly welcome this announcement, and wish Kenya Airways great success.”
Since its inception in 2015, Cape Town Air Access has assisted landing 15 new routes and 21 routes expansions. During this period, more than 750 000 inbound seats were added to its international network.
“Cape Town International is ready to welcome new passengers aboard Kenya Airways to our world-class, award-winning airport,” said Deon Cloete, General Manager of Cape Town International Airport.
“Our focus is on delivering a quality passenger experience, time and time again. We never take for granted when an airline makes a commitment to our destination. This is why the airport team continues to play its role in the region by delivering a quality service, a role we take seriously,” concluded Cloete.
