Etihad Airways is strengthening its presence in Kenya with a major expansion of flights between Nairobi and Abu Dhabi.
The airline, which only began operating on the route less than a year ago, has announced plans to sharply increase capacity. Starting in October, services will rise from the current four flights a week to eight. By December 15, the frequency will double again to 14 flights every week.
According to Javier Alija, Etihad’s vice president for global sales and distribution, the Nairobi route has recorded outstanding performance since its launch.
“We have never seen growth like this before, moving from launch to double daily flights in just one year. What makes it work is the strong balance between inbound and outbound travel,” he said.
The upgrade will lift available seats from about 600 to more than 2,200 weekly, marking a significant boost for both leisure and business travel.Etihad says the expansion reflects rising demand for air travel between Kenya and the United Arab Emirates and highlights the airline’s confidence in Kenya’s aviation market. Alija added that competition remains key in driving innovation.
“When there is no healthy competition, people and businesses can become complacent. Our slogan is Beyond Borders, which means we must keep pushing for growth and improvement,” he noted.
The Nairobi upgrade is part of Etihad’s wider strategy in Africa, which focuses on launching new routes, adding more frequencies, and building stronger partnerships with other carriers.
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