Kenya Airways has announced it will launch direct cargo flights to the United States on December 1st.
Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer Sebastian Mikosz said the airline is still waiting for further approvals from customs, agriculture and medical authorities for it to commence direct cargo transportation to the US.
“There is need to test on the aircraft’s temperature-controlled environment during flight and storage as we can’t take risks, for example, in transportation of livestock products,” CEO Sebastian Mikosz said.
The maiden direct passenger flight to the US is set for October 28th after Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) received the Last Point of Departure (LPD) letter from the American Transport Security Administration (TSA) on Thursday. This was the last hurdle for Kenya Airways' plan for nonstop flights to New York.
Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said the nonstop flights to the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York will boost Kenya's horticulture industry.
“When flights have to connect to other continents to get to the US, flowers and other horticultural produce reduce value which also increases the rejects rate,” Macharia said.
Kenya’s exports to the US stood at Sh57.8 billion ($572.2 million) in 2017 from Sh38.3 billion ($379.5 million) in 2016.
Kenya mainly exports woven apparel, knit apparel, coffee, tea and spice, edible fruit & nuts, ores, slag, nursery products and vegetable oils to the US
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