This archive report was first published on 4 October 2021.
Kenya Airways has announced plans to increase flights to London following the removal of Kenya from the UK's red list.
As of October 4, 2021, the airline will operate four flights per week on the Nairobi-London route, up from the current two.
Kenya's state-owned airline attributed the decision to the significant revenue generated from European routes, which accounted for 20% of its revenue in the previous year, totaling KSh 10 billion out of KSh 62 billion.
Boost in Flights to London ¶
According to the airline, 'We shall be adding flights to the UK to four a week with a possibility of a fifth one depending on demand.'
Following the initial decision to place Kenya on the UK red list, the Kenyan Government suspended all passenger flights to the UK, effective midnight on April 9, 2021.
Kenya also retaliated by requiring all passengers originating from or transiting through UK airports to undergo mandatory 14-day isolation at a government-designated facility at their own cost upon entry into Kenya.
While in isolation, they were subjected to two PCR COVID-19 tests, on day 2 and day 8 of their quarantine, at their own cost.
Cargo flights between the two countries continued to operate through specific protocols.
Passengers who had made bookings to the UK were advised that their tickets would remain valid for a year until March 31, 2022.
Kenya Airways is deploying additional flights on the Nairobi-London route at a time when the summer season is coming to an end.
The airline attributed its losses to a sharp decline in summer bookings, which resulted in a Net Loss of KSh 11.5 Billion in H1 2021 compared to a Net Loss of KSh 14.3 Billion in H1, 2020.
