By John Oyuke
Kenya Airways (KQ) passengers will save up to 20 per cent of travel time as the airline plans to start direct flight to the Chinese City of Guangzhou.
The airline, that has been flying to Guangzhou through Dubai since 2005 will launch the direct flights on October 28.
The airline’s Communication Manager Victoria Kaigai said apart from reducing travel time by an estimated 20 per cent, travellers would also eliminate a two-hour stopover at Dubai.
The 12-hour flights to Guangzhou will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays on the airline’s Boeing 777 aircraft.
"KQ becomes the first airline from sub-Sahara Africa to launch the non-stop flights from Nairobi to Mainland China," said Kaigai.
The direct flight to Guangzhou becomes the third outside Africa. In Europe, the airline flies directly between Nairobi and London, and Nairobi to France.
Guangzhou is a major shopping destination for merchants from Africa, who connect through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.Guangzhou is on the coast of the South China Sea and 182 kilometers away from Hong Kong, it is China’s largest and most prosperous city in the south.
It is considered an important seaport for foreign trade and a famous historical and cultural city over 2,000 years old and has been hosting annual spring and autumn exports trade fairs. The airline has also unveiled a new winter timetable with increased flights to Bangkok and Hong Kong.
Kaigai said frequencies to Bangkok would now go up from six to seven times a week, while those to Hong Kong will move from four to five times a week.
KQ marked five years of operations to Bangkok, Thailand. The anniversary coincided with the graduation of 25 Thai crew who will be joining the airline’s cabin crew.
