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Kenya Airways has reportedly reduced the number of flights flying directly on the newly launched Nairobi-New York route due to low demand
The airline's management attributes the low booking of tickets to effects of winter which has just started and hence the decision to cut back the number of flights on the route.
“The winter schedule for all our flights took effect from October 2018 and will run until March 30, 2019. We cancel flights that are not commercially viable, so this is not unique to this route,” says an official as quoted by Business Daily.
The move comes barely two weeks after the national airline launched daily nonstop flights between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and JFK International Airport in New York.
Business Daily reports that KQ has already cancelled 10 scheduled flights in the month of November due to low bookings.
“It is common practice to reduce frequencies, downgrade or even upgrade flights to balance costs and revenue. These 10 flights were identified at three weeks before the inaugural flight and travel agents plus guests were advised as per our flight cancellation procedures,” says the official.
The airline has been recording losses in the past few years and the launch of direct flights to the United States is part of its long-term recovery plan under Chief Executive Sebastian Mikosz. This year, KQ announced a Sh4 billion half-year loss.
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Way too expensive. Better to use the traditional ways. Book other cheaper airlines. KQ is always expensive. They will end up stopping scraping the whole route if they don’t change.
True, I remember asking a friend why JFK and daily flights, we are not that many and also Ethiopian airlines already fly direct and better service from what i hear. The fact that all these things happen so quickly without a well thought of plan is quite disturbing. SGR is a perfect example where the gov is pumping in billions and still the thing is not profitable as chinese are recouping their cost and the cargo is not close to what they expected as trucks continue to haul most of the containers to Nairobi. No feasibility studies done and the ones that are performed they are doctored to match a certain line of thought. The Kipeto wind is another example where solar would be cheaper and take less real estate but as usual it is being rammed through to give GE wind turbine unit a place to sell their turbines, through coercion by the foreign investment agency
Like I said unless they fly to Atlanta or Detroit it wont work. Who is advising these people?
CORRUPTION advices Kenya all the Time; from Top to Bottom.
Looks like there was no business plan. Hardly two weeks into the big new route and the flights have been slashed by half? They did't know it was winter?
I tell you the boy in statehouse all show and no substance. He is so out of his depth. PR and gimmicks is all he does as the country looses money.
The flights should have been to cities with high concentration of Kenyans such as DFW or Seattle.
They codeshare with Delta meaning they should have been flying where Delta has a hub.
Bring the flights to Minnesota or at least Illinois (midwest). Where have a big number of Kenyans and Somalis here in Minnesnowta.
Hakupa mpango hapa. Most Kenyans and East African people go home for Christmas. Students will be joining schools in January.
Ethiopian airlines is a network the East Coast, not just DC. Kenya Airways only serves JFK. Big difference.
Every Airline reduces its flight during the countries which experience winters seasons or other stuff.Today flights which flys to california have reduced due to wildfires?When Europe is experiencing winters,flights n train stops?So why fly daily with empty flights??For me i think they should b flying 2x a week?I have flown with kenya airways from thailand,west africa n it's good thou a little but expensive?So with this newyork flights it's a game changer juu they r cheap n it's direct??but we should make more billions with mizigo than flying pple?I cannot wait to bring my flowers within 15 hrs instead of going thru Netherlands?Question why diasporas always like negatives comments about Kenya most of the time???Pple r already celebrating that the flights have kinda failed which is not true??Everybody in life has to adjust on what works or not?
You have a good point but you need to understand where our frustrations come from. NYS, health, SGR, and on and on and nobody senior in prison yet. They steal and steal and then hike the taxes for the common guy on the street while they are buying multiple homes in Rhunda and such... We love kenya but we are not in love with the crooks calling the shots, they are very selfish minded and almost treasonous in the way they are handling the country affairs. We support where the good is obvious like what Matiang'i is trying to do with transport and what he has done with education and other areas. The common kenyan is industrious but their own government is cutting their legs by importing cheap maize just when the farmers are about to harvest
@Maumauagain can u please mention 3 positive things which u have seen working in this kenya of ours juu am tired of negatives negatives from diaspora.Ama diaspora have failed in life huko majuu so there is nothing else they see only manegatives in their home countries.Please let's hear about negatives followed by positives
This was Predictable; but the Show must Continue (or else the Taxpayer bites another Tax bullet) while the MPigs dine Five-Star.