Permission from the government in Nairobi to resume flights to Monrovia, which will operate via Accra in Ghana has been granted. It is understood that the route between Accra and Monrovia will be operated under fifth freedom traffic rights allowing Kenya Airways to pick up passengers and cargo in both directions. The three weekly flights will take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

In a related development, many readers have asked to get fuller details about the changes to the Kenya Airways (KQ) flights schedule, some of which were mentioned her a few days ago. Always happy to make sure that my readers do get what they are asking for was a statement obtained from KQ’s PR agency Lesley Simpson Communications outlining the complete range of additional flights and changes in timings which will become effective today.

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As part of its transformation program, Kenya Airways announces several flight scheduling changes that will take effect from April 1, 2015. This change is expected to boost connectivity for passengers by 20%.

This is coinciding with the planned runway upgrade program by the Kenya Airports Authority that will see the Nairobi’s JKIA runway closed for six hours daily, from 12 midnight to 6 am for the next one year.

Kenya Airways will now operate an improved schedule that ensures efficient use of its aircraft, crew and flight connections for passengers. There will be an increase in flight frequencies to some cities on its network especially in Africa.

Kenya Airways’ Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mbuvi Ngunze said the rationale behind this hub redesign program is to augment operations while accommodating the runway upgrade.

1. Africa
Africa is the main beneficiary of the changes allowing for better connectivity into Europe and Asia. Intra Africa connectivity will also be enhanced by the new schedule.

Southern Africa

Kenya Airways has introduced daily night flights to Lusaka, Zambia and Lilongwe in Malawi in addition to the existing day flights. Mozambique flights to Maputo and Nampula will increase to 2 and 4 respectively. In Zimbabwe, Harare flights change from the current 14 to 21 per week. Flight schedule from South Africa will be adjusted accordingly:

Flight #: KQ 765 from JNB to NBO
Departs 0150, Arrives 0655, Frequency: 1234567

Flight #: KQ 761 from JNB to NBO
Departs 1235, Arrives 1740, Frequency: 1234567

Flight #: KQ 763 from JNB to NBO
Departs 1620, Arrives 2125, Frequency: 12.4567

Flight #: KQ 760 from NBO to JNB
Departs 0835, Arrives 1145, Frequency: 1234567

Flight #: KQ 762 from NBO to JNB
Departs 1205, Arrives 1515, Frequency: 12.4567

Fllight #: KQ 764 from NBO to JNB
Departs 2150, Arrives 0100, Frequency: 1234567

East Africa

In a push to grow the leisure market and boost local tourism, flights to Malindi will increase from 7 to 14 per week (double daily) and Mombasa (56 to 63 per week). Frequencies into Tanzanian towns of Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar have also doubled to two flights a day.

Central Africa

Kinshasa in the DRC will now be served by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to accommodate more passengers and cargo. Flights to Yaounde and Doula will become daily.

West Africa

As part of its Bilateral Air Service Agreement with the Governments of Ghana and Liberia, Kenya Airways will operate a flight between Accra and Monrovia on the 5th freedom agreement. These agreements allow airlines to operate between two cities without returning to the hub. The flights will operate as the airline awaits clearance by the Kenyan Ministry of Health to resume flights between Nairobi and Monrovia, suspended last year following the Ebola outbreak.

2. Middle East, Asia and Far East

Kenya Airways will now fly to Dubai in the UAE 11 times a week as opposed to the previous 7. The inaugural flight on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Hanoi in Vietnam is scheduled for the 30th of March 2015. Kenya Airways will fly to Hanoi 3 times a week, linked to Guangzhou. Flights to Mumbai, India will increase from the current once a day to twice daily with the day flight on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

3. Europe

Flights to Paris in France will increase from the current 5 to 7 per week, while London in the UK and Amsterdam in the Netherlands remain as a daily flight. All three destinations will now be served by the latest aircraft in the fleet.

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