Maiden flight to US on Sunday night still on, Transport CS Macharia says

When celebrated CNN journalist Richard Quest broke the news that he would be visiting Kenya, everyone's antennae was upright. Why? His visit meant Kenya will be marketed as a tourist destination.

Perhaps his time with Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala at the Nairobi National Park (see photos) will provide a snippet of what international tourists are to expect should they visit Kenya.

Quest's visit comes in the back drop of government plans to bank on direct flights to boost horticulture and receive more than 120,000 tourists from the US up from the current 97,000.

The Kenya Airways maiden direct flight to the US will take off as planned, Transport CS James Macharia said.

He was responding to threats by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union to boycott services on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner set to leave for New York on Sunday.

On Tuesday, Kenya Airways CEO Sebastian Mikosz said the boycott is a threat to its new bid to generate and increase its revenue.

The plane is set to leave the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 11.25pm and reach John F Kennedy International Airport in New York at 6.25am the next day.

It will then leave New York at 12.25pm the same day and land in Nairobi at 10.55am the following day.

It is also expected more US firms will open shop in the country. There are currently an estimated 48 US companies in Kenya.