Players in the aviation world, especially those operating in the regional skies, will have to up their game or get blown out, following the entry of Kenya Airways’ budget carrier Jambojet.
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has granted Jambojet licence to fly regional skies, with flights now scheduled for Addis Ababa, Juba, Entebbe, Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Bujumbura, Kigali, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro. The low-budget carrier, which has been charging KSh4,000 ($45) for a one-way flight from Nairobi to Mombasa will now compete with Fly540, Rwandair, PrecisionAir, and Ethiopian Airlines, which have dominated the Eastern Africa region for a while.
UK-based Fastjet Plc has also expressed interest in joining the regional skies and will be looking to conquer the continental market with affordable flights. Jambojet began its operations in April 2014 and has been flying to Mombasa, Eldoret Kisumu from its headquarters in Nairobi.
The inclusion of regional flights will come as a boon for the loss-stricken national carrier, gravely affected by the Ebola outbreak in West Africa that led to cancellation of flights to the region. The budget carrier has grown since its entry into the market, encouraging travellers to fly and save time rather than travelling by bus.
A bus ticket from Nairobi to Mombasa costs around Ksh1,800, a journey that takes approximately eight hours. Travelling by air costs Ksh4,000 and the flight period is 45 minutes. This has become a strong attraction especially for business travellers.
Jambojet Boeing 737 aircraft, which is based on Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, will be used on the international skies.
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