A second flight carrying Kenyans who were stranded in the United Kingdom amid the Covid-19 pandemic has left London for Nairobi.
The Kenya Airways (KQ) chartered flight departed London’s Heathrow Airport on Friday afternoon, according to Kenya’s High Commissioner to the UK Manoah Esipisu.
Kenya High Commission in London in a statement early this week said the repatriation flight was available on a first-come-first-served basis.
A one-way economy class ticket on this flight was selling at £771 (Sh101,000) and £2,140 (Sh279,000) for business class. The price is almost double the amount paid by the first group that was evacuated from the UK on May 4th.
Kenya Airways told Daily Nation that the huge difference in the ticket price was because the first flight was ferrying cargo to and from the United Kingdom, hence balancing out the cost.
“There is a difference in price and this is because the flight on May 4 was ferrying cargo to and from the United Kingdom. It was, therefore, possible to balance out the operating costs between cargo and passenger services,” Kenya Airways said.
Upon arrival in Nairobi, the returnees will be placed under quarantine in designated facilities for a period of between 14 and 28 days at their own cost.
The first flight with 84 Kenyans from the UK landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from London on May 4th.
Kenyans from India and China were evacuated last week at their cost with those traveling from Mumbai paying Sh46,000 ($430) for a one-way ticket and Sh80,242 ($750) for citizens who arrived from Guangzhou.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry this week said it has facilitated the evacuation of at least 700 Kenyans who were stranded in foreign countries.
