FRIDAY, JULY 4, 2014

Kenya eyes one million Chinese as city airport opens new hub

Kenya Airways personnel demonstrating the check-in place at the new Terminal 1A to the CS Transport and Infrastructure Eng Michael Kamau and MD Kenya Airports Authority Lucy Mbugua. PHOTO/JEFF ANGOTE 

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By JOSHUA MASINDE
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Kenya and China have signed a bilateral air service agreement allowing national carrier Kenya Airways to access more destinations in China.

The agreement will see Kenya Airways increase its frequencies to the most populous country on earth to 21 flights a week, from 14 currently.

The airline will also fly to more destinations in China, which is intended to increase trade, tourism and investment between the two countries.

Bilateral agreement

Speaking while signing a bilateral air service agreement with Chinese civil aviation officials, Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau said Kenya was targeting one million visitors from China following an increase in Kenya Airways flights to China.

“With the signing of this memorandum of understanding, it will now be easier for one million Chinese tourists to come to Kenya,” Mr Kamau said on Friday at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Chinese visitors to Kenya slumped by 10.3 per cent to 37,062 from 41,303 in 2012.

Total visitor arrivals also declined by 12 per cent to 1.09 million, from 1.23 million in 2012, due to insecurity incidents.

In the bilateral agreement Kenya signed with China, Kenya Airways was allotted more entry and exit points in Chinese airports.

It will now increase its daily frequencies to China from two to three.

The airline will deploy long haul flights that include the Dreamliner to China and Far East destinations as part of its route expansion.

Chinese deputy administrator, Civil Aviation Administration, Mr Wang Zhiqing, signed the bilateral agreement on behalf of his country.

The agreement was a follow-up on President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to China last year, in which he signed a series of trade and investment pacts with the Asian country.

Nearing completion
Earlier, Mr Kamau inspected the new Terminal 1 (previously temporary Terminal 4) at the airport, whose construction is nearing completion and is to be fully operational before the end of the year.

The new Terminal 1, which a capacity of 2.5 million passengers annually, will start operating partially from next week. 
Some test runs have been completed with the national carrier using the terminal.

The tests will continue in the next three weeks when the terminal will be partially opened.

85 Kenya eyes one million Chinese as city airport opens new hub

FRIDAY, JULY 4, 2014

Kenya eyes one million Chinese as city airport opens new hub

Kenya Airways personnel demonstrating the check-in place at the new Terminal 1A to the CS Transport and Infrastructure Eng Michael Kamau and MD Kenya Airports Authority Lucy Mbugua. PHOTO/JEFF ANGOTE 

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOSHUA MASINDE
More by this Author

Kenya and China have signed a bilateral air service agreement allowing national carrier Kenya Airways to access more destinations in China.

The agreement will see Kenya Airways increase its frequencies to the most populous country on earth to 21 flights a week, from 14 currently.

The airline will also fly to more destinations in China, which is intended to increase trade, tourism and investment between the two countries.

Bilateral agreement

Speaking while signing a bilateral air service agreement with Chinese civil aviation officials, Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau said Kenya was targeting one million visitors from China following an increase in Kenya Airways flights to China.

“With the signing of this memorandum of understanding, it will now be easier for one million Chinese tourists to come to Kenya,” Mr Kamau said on Friday at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Chinese visitors to Kenya slumped by 10.3 per cent to 37,062 from 41,303 in 2012.

Total visitor arrivals also declined by 12 per cent to 1.09 million, from 1.23 million in 2012, due to insecurity incidents.

In the bilateral agreement Kenya signed with China, Kenya Airways was allotted more entry and exit points in Chinese airports.

It will now increase its daily frequencies to China from two to three.

The airline will deploy long haul flights that include the Dreamliner to China and Far East destinations as part of its route expansion.

Chinese deputy administrator, Civil Aviation Administration, Mr Wang Zhiqing, signed the bilateral agreement on behalf of his country.

The agreement was a follow-up on President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to China last year, in which he signed a series of trade and investment pacts with the Asian country.

Nearing completion
Earlier, Mr Kamau inspected the new Terminal 1 (previously temporary Terminal 4) at the airport, whose construction is nearing completion and is to be fully operational before the end of the year.

The new Terminal 1, which a capacity of 2.5 million passengers annually, will start operating partially from next week. 
Some test runs have been completed with the national carrier using the terminal.

The tests will continue in the next three weeks when the terminal will be partially opened.

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