Third KQ Charted Plane to Repatriate Kenyans Stranded in the UK

Kenya Airways (KQ) has programmed a third chartered flight to fly back Kenyans stranded in the United Kingdom amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The flight will depart London’s Heathrow Airport for the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi on Thursday, June 5th, KQ said in a notice on its website.

“Flights to Kenya are only open to Kenyan citizens only flying back home. Ticket price is one way and not refundable,” the airline says.

“Infants not occupying a seat to pay 10% of the adult rate.”

Kenyans who wish to return home on this flight must undergo the Covid-19 test and present to KQ a copy of the results showing they are negative prior to travel.

Upon arrival in Nairobi, the returnees will be sent into quarantine in designated facilities for a period of between 14 and 28 days in line with the government’s guidelines.

A one-way economy class ticket on this flight is going for £1,089 (Sh142,000) and £1,969 (Sh256,000) for business class.

One-way tickets for a second chartered flight from the UK stood at £771 (Sh101,000) for the economy and £2,140 (Sh279,000) for business class. The prices were almost double the amount paid by the first group of Kenyans that was evacuated from the UK on May 4th.

Kenya Airways said the huge difference in the ticket prices was because the first flight was ferrying cargo to and from the UK, hence balancing out the cost.

“There is a difference in price and this is because the flight on May 4th was ferrying cargo to and from the United Kingdom. It was, therefore, possible to balance out the operating costs between cargo and passenger services,” KQ told Daily Nation.