Monday, October 26, 2009: Kenya Airways has launched direct flights to Bangui, the largest city in the Central African Republic. 

The airline will operate two weekly flights every Tuesday and Thursday to the Bangui M'Poko International Airport.  

An incredible US$ 46 return fare is being offered on this route for tickets purchased by October 31, 2009 and valid for travel by November 30, this year. The introduction of flights to Bangui brings to 46 the number of destinations that Kenya Airways flies to. 

“Travelers on this route are expected to benefit greatly from the superb connections that KQ’s network provides to destinations across Africa, Far-East and Middle East,” Kenya Airways Commercial Director Mohan Chandra said.  

He said the route will enable investors dealing in diamond, coffee, cotton, timber to access the European markets for the French-speaking nation.

The diamond-rich city of four million people will offer easier connectivity for the importers of food and textiles from major suppliers in France, United States of America, Cote d’Ivoire, Germany and Japan. There is a lot of traffic from Bangui to the trader routes which Kenya Airways is targeting.

Other destinations that Kenya Airways has launched in the recent past include Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Ndola, Zambia and Gaborone, Botswana which have improved connectivity to many parts of the world.  

Kenya Airways applies the “fifth freedom” which allows it to carry revenue traffic between these foreign countries as a part of services connecting to JKIA. The freedoms of the air are a set of commercial aviation rights granting a country's airline the privilege to enter and land in another country's airspace. The fifth freedom is between M'Poko International Airport in Bangui and the Douala International Airport in Cameroon.

KQ has embarked on an aggressive network expansion with recent route additions being Congo-Brazaville and Libreville; launched in March and June this year respectively.

The airline operates three daily frequencies to Johannesburg, South Africa and double dailies to Lusaka, Zambia; 10 flights a week to Lilongwe, Malawi and Harare, Zimbabwe and three weekly flights to Maputo, Mozambique.

Kenya Airways has continued to invest heavily in expanding its network to cater for the growing customer needs. This route expansion has been accompanied by fleet modernization and a commitment to safety and growing aviation standards in the continent, Mohan said.

Kenya Airways operates one of the youngest fleets in sub-Saharan Africa.

About KQ

Since its inception in 1977, KQ has grown and today serves over three million passengers annually flies to 46 destinations including cities across Africa, as well as Amsterdam, Paris and London and select destinations in Asia, including Dubai, Mumbai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Bangkok. In addition to having one of the most modern aircraft fleets in Africa, Kenya Airways is also a major employer with a workforce of over 4,200 employees. 

Kenya Airways continues to modernise its fleet with its 25 aircraft fleet being one of the youngest in the continent.  

Since 2001, Kenya Airways has spent over US$ 1.04 billion on modernising its fleet and upgrading its ground handling equipment and technology. 

About Bangui

Bangui is the Capital of and the largest city in the Central African Republic. The majority of the population of the Central African Republic lives in the western parts of the country, near Bangui.

The city was founded in 1889 in what was then the French colony Haut-Oubangui. The city grew around the French military post on the Ubangi River. Bangui served as an administration center in the colonial era and continues to be the administrative center of the CAR.

Bangui serves as an administrative, trade, and commercial center. It received its first bank branch in 1946 when the Bank of West Africa established a branch there. Bangui manufactures include textiles, food products, beer, shoes, and soap. The main exports are cotton, timber and coffee.