Kenya Airways will begin direct flights from its Nairobi hub to Guangzhou, China later this year – to leverage on growing Sino-African relations.
From November 19 the airline will operate its new Boeing 777-300ER between the Kenyan capital and China's third-largest city three times a week. Currently, Kenya Airways flies daily to Guangzhou via a stopover in Bangkok.
The new direct service will be flown on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the airline will also maintain the current flights to Guangzhou via Bangkok four times a week. Together with its code-share partner China Southern, Kenya Airways will be able to service most parts of China from Guangzhou. The service will leave Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi at 0255 for a 1915 touch down in Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, while the return leg will depart at 2140 for a 0410 arrival in back in Africa the next day.
The airline expects to receive the B777-300ER in mid-October, which will feature a two-class configuration, with 28 business and 369 economy seats.
Finally, Kenya Airways has also made changes on its flights to Hong Kong via Bangkok. Starting October 2, the airline will service the route only three times a week, as it will discontinue its once-a-week service through Dubai in the UAE.
Stay tuned for an in-depth feature on Guangzhou's historical architecture in the September issue of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific.
For more information, visit www.kenya-airways.com
Clement Huang
