KENYA – Jambojet, the low-cost airline and subsidiary of Kenya Airways, has announced plans to commence flights between Nairobi and the Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma from September 2021.
The flight to North Kivu capital is one of the two flights the low-cost carrier will introduce in September as part of its expansion plans.
The airline says it will be operating two weekly flights between Nairobi and Goma which is located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo and will be gradually increased to four flights.
“Three years ago, we embarked on an expansion plan that would see us expand our network across the region as well as grow our fleet. We had to put on hold some of the plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are excited to launch these two new routes, and look forward to what is to come,” said Vincent Rague, Jambojet Chairman.
Similarly, Jambojet will fly four times a week to the Kenyan coastal town of Lamu from its Jomo Kenyatta International Airport hub, and Moi International Airport in Mombasa from mid-September.
According to Rague, the airline is taking advantage of the huge opportunity the African market has to offer, and the rising demand for air connectivity in the region.
“There is a growing demand for air transport across the continent, with the International Air Transport Association projecting that Africa will become one of the fastest-growing aviation regions within the next 20 years, with an average annual expansion rate of almost 5%. We, as Jambojet, are keen to be part of this growth,” he added.
“There is a growing demand for air transport across the continent, with IATA projecting that Africa will become one of the fastest-growing aviation regions within the next 20 years, with an average annual expansion rate of almost 5%”
Vincent Rague – Chairman, Jambojet
The Kenya Airways subsidiary currently flies to 6 destinations including Mombasa, Diani, Eldoret, Kisumu and Malindi from its primary hub in Nairobi.
The airline also operates a direct flight from Mombasa to Kisumu and Eldoret.
Jambojet says since 2014, it has witnessed exponential growth with its 6 brand new De Havilland Dash 8-400 fleet, flying 4 million passengers across all its destinations during the period.
In October 2019, Jambojet announced that it would commence flights to Kigali, Rwanda and Mogadishu, Somalia in November of the same year.
The entry into the Kigali route makes Jambojet the only low-cost airline to operate the route from Nairobi.
The company received approval to fly to Kigali in September of that year.
The then Chief Executive Officer of Jambojet Allan Kilavuka said that their entry into the two markets as part of their regional expansion program and brings to three the total number of routes they operate in the continent with the exception of those they fly to on behalf of Kenya Airways.
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