Jambojet, Kenya’s leading domestic carrier has received an additional Dash 8 Q-400 aircraft, bringing the total number of planes in its fleet to 10. The aircraft was formally received by Jambojet CEO & Managing Director, Mr Karanja Ndegwa, at the airline’s main hub at JKIA, Nairobi, alongside senior aviation dignitaries led by the JKIA Airport Manager Dr Rose Koros.
Speaking during the reception event, Mr Ndegwa said the additional aircraft is part of Jambojet’s long-term fleet expansion strategy aimed to grow its domestic market share to 65%. “This aircraft is a significant addition to our fleet and will enable us to grow capacity on our key routes such as Kisumu, Eldoret and Diani. We are also exploring network expansion within East Africa and beyond,” he added.
In the short term, the new aircraft, which is registered as 5Y-JXO, will help meet the high demand of the festive season which experiences the highest passenger numbers in the year.
The ferry flight from Ontario, Canada, was operated by Captain David Kirera, Captain Kassim Mazrui and First Officer Sharon Murila, flying over 12,000 kilometres with stopovers in Iceland, The United Kingdom, Malta, Egypt and Ethiopia before its final touchdown at JKIA, Nairobi.
Jambojet is a regional service low-cost airline that flies to 6 destinations from its primary hub in Nairobi – Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi, Ukunda (Diani) and Lamu. The airline also operates 3 routes from its secondary hub in Mombasa to Kisumu, Eldoret, and Zanzibar. It also has Cargo operations across its network.
The airline, launched in April 2014, became the only low-cost carrier in Kenya to be awarded the coveted IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA registration) in July 2019. IOSA is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess an airline’s safety, operational management and control systems.
In the 11 years of operations, the airline has achieved significant growth; with a fleet comprising 9 brand new De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400, flown over 8.6 million passengers, 44% of whom are first time flyers. This number grows as more travellers appreciate the benefits of low-cost flying and the airline expands its regional network.
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