Counties
Local airlines add flights to western on demand surge
Thursday September 30 2021
Summary
- Air travel demand in the western region route has made local airlines increase daily flights at Kisumu International Airport.
- Last Friday, Fly Safarilink announced the introduction of a midday flight to Kisumu, making a total of 23 flights a week.
- Budget carrier Jambojet has more flights to Kisumu than other destinations.
Air travel demand in the western region route has made local airlines increase daily flights at Kisumu International Airport.
Last Friday, Fly Safarilink announced the introduction of a midday flight to Kisumu, making a total of 23 flights a week.
Budget carrier Jambojet has more flights to Kisumu than other destinations.
Jambojet does 27 flights weekly on the Nairobi-Kisumu route, Eldoret 22, Malindi 18, Diani 14 and Lamu four.
“We realised there was a niche with the midday flights. Some passengers would come in the morning, do their business but want to get back to Nairobi by midday,” said Fly Safarilink operations manager Sammy Ogola.
“The midday flight has picked up so fast. But the demand for flights is usually higher on the weekends on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.”
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic crippling the aviation industry for the better part of 2020, the airlines have since resumed flights, which are slowly picking up.
Kenya Airways, Fly Safarilink, Jambojet, 748 Air Service, Air Renegade, FLY540 and Air Kenya ply the Nairobi-Kisumu route.
Air Renegade and 748 Air Service and Air Renegade joined the Kisumu route two months ago.
“Business is good. On the weekends, we are at 98 percent passenger capacity. Weekdays the carrying capacity is at 60 percent,” said Mr Ogola.
Air Renegade sales and marketing manager Patrick Oketch said Kisumu is the gateway to the 13 counties in the Lake Region Economic Bloc.
The lake port city is one…