NAIROBI, Kenya, July 25 – Kenya Airways (KQ) will from next month stop its 5 weekly flights to Bangui in the Central African Republic amid low demand and poor performance.
The suspension, which is slated for August 9, 2024, will however not affect cargo services.
The national carrier said that it will arrange alternative travel options, including rebooking, refunds, or re-routing to all passengers holding bookings on affected flights to or from Bangui following the suspension.
“Effective 9th August 2024, Kenya Airways will suspend the 5 weekly flights to Bangui, Central Africa Republic. The cargo service will not be affected by the suspension. Kenya Airways remains committed to continuously optimizing its flight schedule to better align with demand and performance objectives,” said KQ in a statement.
KQ also announced several network route adjustments to African destinations to optimize operations during the peak season.
Martin Gitonga, KQ’s Head of Network Planning and Alliances, said that this was necessary for efficient operations.
“In light of the current market landscape and as part of our Business Continuity Plan, we have made the strategic decision to make adjustments on our route networks in order to ensure smoother and more efficient operations,” said Gitonga.
The network adjustments will impact flights to Tanzania, South Africa, and Cameroon.
Earlier this month, KQ operated daily flights on the midday-time window by adding flights on Wednesdays and Fridays to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
KQ said starting August 2024, the 5 weekly flights on the nighttime window to Johannesburg, South Africa, will be upgraded to Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
“Effective 1st August 2024, the 5 weekly flights on the Night-time window, will be upgraded to Boeing 787 Dreamliner. This is part of the 26 weekly flights operated by Kenya Airways to Johannesburg, South Africa,” Stated Gitonga KQ’s Head of Network Planning.
All the 3-weekly non-stop Nairobi to Cape Town, South Africa, flights will also be upgraded to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, offering 30 full-leg flat seats in business and 204 economy seats with generous seat pitches, effective 1st August 2024.
Further, all 5 weekly flights to Douala, Cameroon, will be operated non-stop from Nairobi and back without a tag, offering shorter flight times and better connectivity through Nairobi and beyond starting August 11, 2024.
