"We thank God, the National government and the Kakamega County government for this development. We have been greatly limited by lack of direct flights. Daily flights will positively impact our tourism sector by marketing local facilities and creating jobs in the county," he said.
A traveller on the inaugural flight who wished to remain anonymous said, "The experience was great and will save us time. There was a departure delay from Nairobi because of the flagging-off ceremony in Nairobi. That aside, the flight was good."
A skyward Express staff who wished to remain anonymous said people have embraced Skyward's daily flights to Kakamega. "Starting tomorrow, the flights will be nearly full. The plane that landed today can carry 37 passengers. However, as demand grows, the company will introduce bigger planes. The redone runway is equipped to handle larger planes than this."
Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) spent, Sh174m on the renovation of the Kakamega Airstrip after it was closed for renovation in 2013 to upgrade and extend the runway to accommodate larger aircraft. Initially, the runway was 1.3km long but has since been extended to 2.2km.
Operationalisation of daily flights to Kakamega is expected to boost tourism in the region as well as promote other businesses. According to KAA Western Region Manager Selina Gor, "The Kakamega Airstrip will accommodate medium-range aircraft with a capacity of 40 passengers".