This is because the Air France, French national carrier, is set to launch two additional weekly flights to Kenya’s capital.
Arthur Dieffenthaler, Air France General Manager for Eastern Africa region made the announcement during an event that brought together French companies operating in Kenya.
“We will be increasing our flights on the Paris-Nairobi route to five flights a week and we are confident that we will continue this growth in the coming years,” said Dieffenthaler
The event was organized by the French Chamber of Commerce ahead of the state visit to Kenya by the French President, Emmanuel Macron scheduled for March 13 and 14, 2019.
The increased flights between Charles de Gaulle Airport and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is part of the airline’s strategy to expand its African network.
Air France resumed flights to Nairobi last year after an eighteen-year hiatus.
Mr. Dieffenthaler added that following resumption of flights to Nairobi, the airline has seen increased demand attributable to growing trade between Kenya and France.
“Immediately we resumed flights on the Paris-Nairobi route, we recorded higher bookings with our partner Kenya Airways. Our return to this market signifies the confidence we have in strengthened ties between Kenya and France,” explained Dieffenthaler.
The increased flights is set to benefit French and Kenyan companies especially in horticulture, pharmaceuticals and other businesses that depend on air transport.
France also ranks among Kenya’s most significant tourism markets.
In 2018, Air France entered into a joint venture partnership with Kenya Airways (KQ) to jointly operate 12 flights a week on the Nairobi-Paris route. Air France also operates a cargo flight into Kenya.
“Our partnership with KQ has been mutually fruitful with demand growing and also from exchange of aviation knowledge on the European and African markets,” concluded Dieffenthaler.
Air France will operate the latest generation aircraft on the route Boeing 787- 9 equipped with the state-of-the-art cabin features to ensure a superior customer experience