By
Jimmy Mbogoh
Published on: July 03, 2025 08:33 (EAT)
File image of a Kenya Airways plane. PHOTO| COURTESY
The national carrier, Kenya Airways, has landed its inaugural direct flight to Gatwick, London.
The flight marks the beginning of yet another route for the
airline, as it seeks to turn a new leaf.
According to senior management at Kenya Airways, they are
optimistic that the new route from Nairobi to London will break even in under a year.
The route now increases Kenya Airways’ frequency in London
to 10 weekly flights.
Citizen TV’s Jimmy Mbogoh was onboard the Thursday’s inaugural flight through the journey from Nairobi to London, which has been touted as a
strategic addition.
Imagine having dinner in Nairobi and breakfast in London. One after the other, the passengers boarded the
Boeing 787-8, some oblivious of the significance of their journey — a journey
that the airline says is expected to increase their passenger numbers by an
additional 700 new seats.
But just why didn’t the national carrier opt for a
destination so close to one of its most significant routes?
“The London route contributes more than 10 per cent of our
total turnover or total revenue as a company, so it’s quite significant. But
what is important is not just revenues — it’s profitable revenue,” said Julius
Thairu, the Chief Commercial and Customer Officer.
Kenya Airways CEO, Allan Kilavuka, on his part said, “Gatwick
will facilitate a lot of trade volumes, including about a 40 per cent boost in
our belly capacity. So here we will be able to move goods more quickly between
Nairobi and London, and also create a lot more opportunities for our exporters
into the UK.”
Besides frequency to London, it is the additional value
proposition that has captured the attention of other stakeholders, with the
Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Davis Chirchir, expressing optimism
over the route’s potential to be scaled up to a daily flight from the current
three weekly flights scheduled for Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
“In terms of strategic positioning of Kenya Airways,
what’s happening today is the kind of thing we’d like to see — getting
attractive routes so that, as they seek to have one or two additional
equipment, they can build the kind of numbers you’ve talked to them about,
basically to have a bottom line and therefore make a profit,” said Chirchir.
Principal Secretary for Aviation & Aerospace Development
Terry Mbaika added, “Aviation contributes 3.1 per cent of our GDP, 46,000
jobs. If we don’t make it deliberate and open the space for our airlines, then
we cannot get to the numbers we want to grow our GDP.”
At exactly 5:30 a.m., meaning the flight had been in the air for
about five and a half hours, from the flight information, it was flying over the northern part of the continent, and in just under three hours, it would be arriving at the destination.
But just what does it take to prepare
for such a flight?
“Preparations start well before coming onboard. Beginning
with our rest time, you have to make sure you have sufficient rest before you
take your flight. Make sure you get to the airport on time to be well-prepared
for the flight. We also rely on the department on the ground — they gather information
for us. As well, we are in communication with our controllers and can request
information on runways in use and that kind of thing,” said KQ Captain Cathleen
Kang’ethe.
Another Captain Koki Mutungi added, “We have a minimum
number of crew we can take on particular flights. Fuel is determined by a lot
of things, i.e., weight, which is determined by how many passengers you are
carrying, how much cargo you have, and how far you have to fly. What level are
you flying at? It’s a lot that goes into that.”
Just after hours in the air, it was time to finally land the
plane — a task that the captains performed with meticulous precision.
After eight and a half hours of flying, covering a distance
of over 6,000 km, the flight landed in London Gatwick, delivering the very first 171
passengers on the flight — the first among many.
As for Jimmy, it’s time to go and hunt for that English
breakfast, because as promised, you can have dinner in Nairobi and breakfast
in London.