This archive report was first published on 19 November 2019.
On November 27, 2019, Air India is set to resume direct flights between Mumbai and Nairobi, a move expected to boost trade and travel between the two countries.
The flights were initially scheduled to begin on September 27, 2019, but were delayed due to operational hitches.
According to the Indian High Commission to Kenya, the flights will depart from Mumbai at 6:25 am local time and will cut travel time from 10-11 hours to six hours, saving travelers hours spent on flights with long layovers in Dubai or the Middle East.
Trade between India and Kenya is estimated at $2 billion annually, with Kenya's exports to India growing from $7.2 million in 2017 to $137 million in 2018, and India's imports to Kenya increasing from $1.974 billion in 2017 to $2.071 billion in 2018.
The direct flights are expected to benefit key economic sectors such as tourism, agriculture, health, and pharmaceuticals, as well as education.
As of 2018, India ranked among the top five markets for tourist international arrivals in Kenya, with the number of visitors from India doubling from 60,000 to 125,000 annually in the last three years.
