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Kenya Airways has recalled its Dreamliner aircrafts currently leased to Oman and Turkish national airlines.
Speaking at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Wednesday, KQ Chief Executive Officer Sebastian Mikosz said the large planes will be used for its direct flights to the United States set to be launched on October 28th and other new routes.
“They are coming back. We will use them for network expansion for the New York flights and new destinations to be announced in the next two months,” Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer Sebastian Mikosz said.
One of the Boeings leased to Oman Air will be surrendered in September and another returned early next year. Three other 777-300ERs given to Turkish airline will be surrendered between 2019 and 2020.
Kenya Airways has lined up two Dreamliner planes for the daily nonstop flights to US – a night flight from Nairobi and a mid-day one from New York.
The Dreamliners, which are preferred for long-haul flights, were leased to Oman and Turkish national airlines in 2016 as KQ moved to reduce operating costs in the wake of sluggish revenue growth.
Dreamliners have high fuel capacities and burn 20 per cent less fuel than ordinary aircrafts and are, therefore, preferred for long distance routes. Kenya Airways owns a fleet of 38 planes, seven of which are Dreamliners.