Kenya to Start Direct US Flights After Approval  from FAA

Kenyans travelling to America are set to benefit with direct flights from Kenya after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Jomo Kenyatta International Airport a Category One status.

Transport Cabinet secretary James Macharia on Thursday said Kenya Airways and other local interested operators can fly directly from Kenya to the US once the necessary approvals and last point of departure (LPD) are granted.

“Following the attainment of the Category One status, Kenya Airways will immediately apply for approval to codeshare with US Airlines while concurrently pursuing approval for direct flights,” the CS said at a media briefing in Nairobi.

Kenya now has Category 1 security and safety status and hopes that will allow it to boost trade with the U.S. and increase its share of American tourists, James Macharia said.

“Kenya Airways will immediately apply for approval to codeshare with U.S. airlines while concurrently pursuing approval for direct flights,” he told the media.

With Category 1, there will be faster movement of goods and people between the two countries.

US exports to Kenya include medicine and electronics will be direct between the two countries with a subsequent improvement in the supply chain.

“The new status will lead to a more market access to the US comprising of normal scheduled passenger and cargo traffic, courier and chartered flights,” read the statement.

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) estimates that 82,363 visitors from the US visited the country between January and October last year, compared to 80,821 from Britain as US arrivals increased 16.4 per cent while those from UK dropped 4.2 per cent.

The US imported goods worth Sh57 billion from Kenya in 2016 and exported goods worth Sh39 billion, leaving a Sh16 billion balance of trade that currently favours Kenya, according to US Department of Commerce data.

Read: 

• JKIA  Projected to Handle 25M Passengers by 2025
• Kenyan Aviation Sector Records 17.5pc Decline in Cargo Volume

The Category 1 status is based on an FAA assessment of the safety oversight provided by Kenya Civil Aviation Authority. This confirms that the KCAA complies with ICAO standards. With the international Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Category 1 certification, Kenyan air carriers that are able to secure the requisite Department of Transport (DOT) approval can establish services to the US and carry the code of US carriers.

Efforts to attain the new status started in October 2014.