Etihad Airways has begun passenger services to Kenyan capital Nairobi from its hub in UAE capital Abu Dhabi.
The carrier announced today that its inaugural flight touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the city.
The twice-a-day, two-class A320 service is Etihad’s first to East Africa, but the company says the Nairobi route is a strategic part of its vision for growth in the continent
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“This year will see considerable growth for us within Africa as a whole, as we observe strong and emerging markets across the continent,” said CEO James Hogan.
Etihad plans to launch services to Nigeria in July and began flying into Libya in January this year.
Hogan added that one of the key drivers for traffic into Africa is Chinese investment, which is “generating passenger demand in both directions”.
Etihad currently operates services between Abu Dhabi and Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu.
The airline has run cargo services from Abu Dhabi to Nairobi since March 2009 and will continue to operate five freight only services per week.
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