Thursday, November 5, 2009: Kenya Airways has today launched direct flights to Kisangani; the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  

The airline will operate three weekly flights every Monday, Thursday and Friday to the Bangoka International Airport. 

Passengers are being offered US$ 47 return fare on this route for tickets purchased by November 30, 2009 and valid for travel by December 31, this year. The special fare offer is only valid for the return travel from Nairobi to Kisangani.  

The introduction of flights to Kisangani brings to 47 the number of destinations that Kenya Airways flies to. 

“Travelers on this route are expected to benefit greatly from the superb connections to Europe and Asia,” Kenya Airways Chairman Evanson Mwaniki said.

He said the provincial capital of Tshopo Province will also serve to connect tourists visiting Kananga, Kinshasa and other parts of the populous African nation – endowed with resources of vast potential wealth.

Investors dealing in minerals such as copper and industrial diamonds will find the route very convenient.

Other routes that Kenya Airways has launched include Gaborone; Botswana and Ndola; Zambia which was unveiled to connect London, Mumbai, Accra, Dubai, Nairobi, Hong Kong and New Delhi.

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 into 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 plan has been accompanied by fleet modernization and a commitment to safety and growing aviation standards in the continent, he said.

Kenya Airways operates the youngest fleet in sub-Saharan Africa.

About KQ

Since its inception in 1977, KQ has grown and today serves over three million passengers annually flies to 47 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 billions of shillings on modernising its fleet and upgrading its ground handling equipment and technology. 

About Kisangani

Kisangani is a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the world's largest producer of cobalt ore, and a major producer of copper and industrial diamonds. It has significant deposits of tantalum, which is used in the fabrication of electronic components in computers and mobile phones.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has a population of over 66 million people and a GDP of over US$ 22 million.