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The decision by Kenya Airways (KQ) to drop direct flights to the US when it resumes international flights on August 1st has displeased Kenyans in the diaspora.
Speaking to Daily Nation North America correspondent Chris Wamalwa, some Kenyans living in the US and Canada said the move will inconvenience them as they had already made plans to travel home.
“I’m devastated by the news that KQ is canceling flights from New York to Nairobi. I had already booked my ticket and was planning to fly on the first flight home from New York. I haven’t seen my mom in over a year and this is killing me,” said Joan Wanjiru, a Kenyan living in Hamilton, Ontario.
Remington Osoko of South Philadelphia, said: “I was looking forward to going back home since I’m not doing anything in the US right now. I completed my studies at Temple University and can’t get a job because of my legal status.”
Others argued that the move will hurt Kenya’s horticulture and tourism industries as well as the ongoing talks on a free trade agreement between the two nations.
“Trade between Kenya and the US stands at only $1 billion. This flight cancellation undermines the ongoing bilateral free trade agreement being negotiated between the US and Kenya to grow the volume of value-added exports from Kenya into US markets” said Prof David Onsarigo Monda of City University, New York.
He added: "Diplomatically, the flight cancelation disrupts direct access to two major global diplomatic centers in New York and Nairobi. New York hosts the UN headquarters while Nairobi hosts UNEP and Habitat. Kenya is also set to become a non-permanent member on the UN Security Council beginning January 2021. This flight cancellation sends all the wrong messages."
Prof. Monda further faulted the decision, saying it will burden diaspora students and business people since they will be required to get visas to travel through Europe to Kenya or the US.
“Kenya’s regional aviation competitors (Ethiopian Airlines and Rwandair) will quickly move in to take up the slots abandoned by Kenya in the ultra-competitive New York aviation market. Rwanda is finalizing plans to fly direct (Kigali - New York) and Ethiopian will be looking to increase the frequency of its flights to the East Coast. All in all, this is a big loss for Kenya” he said.
The airline launched direct flights to JFK International Airport in New York in October 2018, reducing travel time on the route to 15 hours.
KQ CEO Allan Kilavuka told Business Daily that the carrier has reduced its routes by half to 27 and cut the frequency of flights to some destinations as demand is expected to remain low for at least 18 months.
Comments
Exactly. I don’t like KQ anyway.
they should have consulted us before deciding what airport to chose, new york to many of us was way out there, dallas, atl on the other hand could have been a better option especially in winter when flights are cancelled frequently and most people dont want to travel up north. but like all their failed projects, they consult no one
Guest 1:KQ pilot life was lost because KCAA allowed a diabetic to fly planes. If it was FAA, he would have been retired the moment he became diabetic. Whose fault was it?
1. One life lost last time of a KQ Pilot (to COVID-19) was One too many.
2. How did Kenyans travel before the Nairobi - New York direct flights? Through other Airports.