Kenya Airways has expanded its network and its frequency with two new night flights to Gaborone, boosting connections between Kenya and Botswana.
The night flights, which started in April serviced by Embraer 190 jets, will depart from Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKI) at 00:50 every Tuesday and Friday arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International airport at 06:00.
Addressing the media on Thursday, Juliet Zintambila, the Country Manager at Kenya Airways, said the airline has experienced a drastic increase in customers hence the need to add more flights.
“The introduction of the night flights comes as the airline is trying to meet the high demand for travel between the two cities,” said Zintambila.
She revealed that they have introduced evening flights due to the demand from their customers who say night flights are more convenient.
The increase in customers has been attributed to their network in 60 destinations and exceeding customer satisfaction. Zintambila announced that plans are underway to introduce flights from Maun and Francistown.
“This will allow Kenya Airways customers to take advantage of the airline’s growing route network via its hub at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport,” said Zintambila.┬á
This service is expected to contribute towards sustainable development in Africa by linking it to the rest of the world.
Zintambila said transport is an important factor in the development of a country as it allows for movement of goods and services as well as opening up new markets.
Some of Kenya Airways newest destinations are Livingstone in Zambia, Blantyre in Malawi, and Abu Dhabi.
“The expansion is in line with its core aims to contributing to sustainable development not only in Kenya but to the rest of the African continent,” added Zintambila.
She said the Embraer has proven to be a fantastic aircraft for servicing regional routes of Kenya Airways.
However, infrastructure at  SSKI  limits the kind of  aircraft that can be used.
“We are hopeful that in the near future we will bring the dream liner,” said Zintambila.
Currently, Kenya Airways has 3000 to 5000 customers a month and with the new flights they are expecting a 10-15 percent growth in revenue.
The airline covers 60 destinations worldwide and receives 3 million customers.
