Kenya Airways Reveals 5 Cities Kenyans Have Travelled To The Most

National airline Kenya Airways on Tuesday, March 26 singled out five cities in its diverse flight network whose popularity has made them increase the frequency of its flights in 2023.

The airline, which presented its 2023 financial results virtually, highlighted three cities in its Africa network as well as one in Europe and one in the United States (US). 

These include Mauritius, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), London (United Kingdom), Johannesburg (South Africa) and New York (United States). 

The demand and popularity among the aforementioned routes led to the airline for instance raising the frequency of flights to Mauritius from its Nairobi hub from four times weekly to daily from January 2023.

Passengers at Terminal 4, Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom. /MYLONDON.NEWS

For Addis Ababa, KQ raised the frequency from four times weekly to daily in March whereas for London, flights were increased from seven times to 10 times a week from May.

Johannesburg proved to be the most popular route for the national carrier as flights were increased from 19 to 26 times a week from June.

Demand for its ultra-long-haul flight from Nairobi to New York, USA was also evident as the airline had raised the frequency of flights from five times weekly to daily from June.

However, KQ revealed that flights to Khartoum in Sudan were suspended in June, and beforehand, the airline operated three weekly flights. This suspension, announced in April 2023, was informed by the unrest in Sudan.

The findings show how Kenyans are increasingly preferring Kenya Airways as their choice of airline for their travels, with their moral support for the country's flagship airline having a positive influence on its financial situation.

Some prefer KQ not just for its easy accessibility but also their sense of patriotism, that is a Kenyan flying a Kenyan airline and the fact that KQ is the first and only carrier to fly non-stop from its hub in Nairobi to New York and linking East Africa and the United States of America the fastest way.

In the meantime, Kenya Airways posted an operating profit of Ksh10.5 billion for the first time since 2017 for the year ended December 31, 2023, a turn-around from an operating loss of Ksh5.6 billion in 2022, a 287% growth.

Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO, Allan Kilavuka, said, “During the year, the company's main focus remained on improving customer experience, operational excellence, and cash conservation."

"These efforts resulted in the airline improving its On-Time Performance (OTP) to a high of 76% from an average low of 58% at the beginning of the year, ranking it as Africa’s second most efficient airline," he added.

On Monday, KQ resumed flights to Eldoret International Airport after a 10-year hiatus during a ceremony presided over by Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen.

The airline will fly to Eldoret five times a week; that is on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. 

Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen flags off a Kenya Airways flight to Eldoret on March 25, 2024. /KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN