Kenya pins its trade growth hopes on direct US flights

Hopes are high that Kenya could soon have direct flights to the United States (US) with the US Federal Aviation Authority scheduled to perform a fresh audit on the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in October, according to media reports.

TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) reported on its website that this followed a previous review earlier this year which failed to attain the minimum threshold of security and safety performance set by the American regulator.

US President Barack Obama, during his visit to Nairobi last month, said there was no definite timeline for the resumption of direct flights between the two countries, owing to the ongoing audit.

Kenya has been implementing several recommendations by the US government to enhance security. This includes the separation of passenger arrival and departure terminals, clearing the flight path and fencing off the airport.

There are direct flights to US cities from Senegal, South Africa and Lagos. The direct flight from Kenya is likely to operate between Nairobi and New York or Washington DC, said air cargo agent Siginon Aviation divisional manager Jared Oswago.

He added that direct flights to the US could lower freight costs by an estimated 20%. The focus remains on the Kenyan government to comply with the required security and safety standards that have delayed the non-stop connection.

According to Kenya’s Business Daily newspaper, the country largely imports medical engineering equipment, industrial products, aircraft engines and chemicals while it exports textiles and perishable products such as flowers and vegetables to the US.