Kenya Airways planes at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on July 31, 2020. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NMG Kenya Airways will start direct flights from Milan to Nairobi on June 8 as demand for booking picks up ahead of summer.
KQ, as the airline is known by its international code, will operate on Wednesday and Sunday using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that has 30 seats in business class and 204 in economy class.
The flight will depart Milan Malpensa Airport at 17.20 to arrive in Rome-Fiumicino at 18.45. The flight will then depart from Rome at 20.05 to arrive in Nairobi at 05.15.
The return from Nairobi is at 10.00 with arrival in Milan-Malpensa at 16.00.
“Kenya Airways operates direct flights to Europe; Amsterdam, London and Paris and from 8th June 2022, will resume the service from Rome-Fiumicino to Nairobi as well as launch the new route from Milano Malpensa to Nairobi,” KQ said in a statement.
The airline’s route expansion comes as the aviation sector is slowly recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, including travel restrictions and reduced incomes for households and businesses.
KQ, which has continued to report losses over the years, is relying on government bailouts to maintain its operations spanning domestic, regional and international flights.
Last year, KQ expanded its code-share agreement with the Rome-based Alitalia Airline, creating additional connectivity to the networks of the two carriers by allowing customers to fly seamlessly to their destinations.
The codeshare flights give tourists and businesspeople additional travel options and better flight schedules when travelling between African points into Europe, the Far East and South America through the two airlines’ hubs in Rome and Nairobi.
KQ re-introduced flights to Rome in 2019 after a seven-year hiatus, banking on increased traffic between the two continents and a new link in Geneva to boost its earnings.
While Rome, with its status as a “global city”, has rich history and culture, making it one of the top tourist destinations, Geneva hosts the highest number of international agencies such as the United Nations.