Kenya Airways launched its first direct flights between Nairobi and Zimbabwe’s resort town of Victoria Falls yesterday, becoming the second regional airline to introduce new frequencies on the route this year.
Ethiopian Airlines introduced a new flight into the resort town in March, a few weeks after South African Airways introduced a wide-bodied Airbus A330.
Major airlines have been lining up to increase flights into Victoria Falls after a $150 million expansion of Victoria Falls International Airport was completed last November.
The project involved the extension of the runway to four kilometres, from one and half kilometres, and increased annual passenger capacity to 1.5 million, from 500 000.
The new route between Nairobi and Victoria Falls will operate three times a week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday and will link the resort town with Cape Town in South Africa.
Kenya Airways chief executive officer, Mbuvi Ngunze said the new route would connect the continent and bring flexibility to air travel.
“In addition to enhancing Africa integration, this new route will provide room for Zimbabwe’s tourism industry as it establishes vital links between the majestic Victoria Falls and the tourism source markets in our global network. The resultant benefit of our wide route network is increased connectivity, flexibility and traveling convenience to visitors from across the world visiting Victoria Falls and onwards to other destinations,” Mbuvi said.
The new route also highlights the airline’s strategy to continue winning in Africa by opening up the region, he added.
Following the launch, the airline, one of Africa’s largest, would be the only carrier operating flights between Victoria Falls and Cape Town.
Kenya Airways will operate an Embraer E190 for the route, with a configuration of 12 Business class seats and 84 economy class seats. – The Source
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