Kenya Airways launches direct flights to London Gatwick

The flight marks the beginning of yet another route for the airline, as it seeks to turn a new leaf.

According to senior management at Kenya Airways, they are optimistic that the new route from Nairobi to London will break even in under a year.

The route now increases Kenya Airways’ frequency in London to 10 weekly flights.

Citizen TV's Jimmy Mbogoh was onboard the Thursday's inaugural flight through the journey from Nairobi to London, which has been touted as a strategic addition.

Imagine having dinner in Nairobi and breakfast in London. One after the other, the passengers boarded the Boeing 787-8, some oblivious of the significance of their journey — a journey that the airline says is expected to increase their passenger numbers by an additional 700 new seats.

But just why didn’t the national carrier opt for a destination so close to one of its most significant routes?

“The London route contributes more than 10 per cent of our total turnover or total revenue as a company, so it’s quite significant. But what is important is not just revenues — it’s profitable revenue,” said Julius Thairu, the Chief Commercial and Customer Officer.

Kenya Airways CEO, Allan Kilavuka, on his part said, “Gatwick will facilitate a lot of trade volumes, including about a 40 per cent boost in our belly capacity. So here we will be able to move goods more quickly between Nairobi and London, and also create a lot more opportunities for our exporters into the UK.”

Besides frequency to London, it is the additional value proposition that has captured the attention of other stakeholders, with the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Davis Chirchir, expressing optimism over the route’s potential to be scaled up to a daily flight from the current three weekly flights scheduled for Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

“In terms of strategic positioning of Kenya Airways, what’s happening today is the kind of thing we’d like to see — getting attractive routes so that, as they seek to have one or two additional equipment, they can build the kind of numbers you’ve talked to them about, basically to have a bottom line and therefore make a profit,” said Chirchir.

Principal Secretary for Aviation & Aerospace Development Terry Mbaika added, “Aviation contributes 3.1 per cent of our GDP, 46,000 jobs. If we don’t make it deliberate and open the space for our airlines, then we cannot get to the numbers we want to grow our GDP.”

At exactly 5:30 a.m., meaning the flight had been in the air for about five and a half hours, from the flight information, it was flying over the northern part of the continent, and in just under three hours, it would be arriving at the destination.

But just what does it take to prepare for such a flight?

“Preparations start well before coming onboard. Beginning with our rest time, you have to make sure you have sufficient rest before you take your flight. Make sure you get to the airport on time to be well-prepared for the flight. We also rely on the department on the ground — they gather information for us. As well, we are in communication with our controllers and can request information on runways in use and that kind of thing,” said KQ Captain Cathleen Kang’ethe.

Another Captain Koki Mutungi added, “We have a minimum number of crew we can take on particular flights. Fuel is determined by a lot of things, i.e., weight, which is determined by how many passengers you are carrying, how much cargo you have, and how far you have to fly. What level are you flying at? It’s a lot that goes into that.”

Just after hours in the air, it was time to finally land the plane — a task that the captains performed with meticulous precision.

After eight and a half hours of flying, covering a distance of over 6,000 km, the flight landed in London Gatwick, delivering the very first 171 passengers on the flight — the first among many.

As for Jimmy, it’s time to go and hunt for that English breakfast, because as promised, you can have dinner in Nairobi and breakfast in London.