The Grand Arrival of the Historical @KenyaAirways flight no. KQ002 at JFK Airport! #JKIAConnectingTheWorld #KQNBONYC #KQDirectFlight pic.twitter.com/vOfK6g6KyV
— Kenya Airports (@KenyaAirports) October 29, 2018
Aren’t you proud to be Kenyan? Even if just for today.
It was proud and historic moment for Kenyans on Monday afternoon after the first direct flight from Kenya to the United States of America landed at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City at 7 45 AM, New York time having completed a 15-hour non-stop journey.
Yesterday night at 10:55 pm, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner departed from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and made its way into the sky heading West, cross the Atlantic Ocean and finally to the New York skyline, a move that saw it become the first East African Airline to experiment this frontier.
The historic Kenya Airways Direct flight to New York was flagged off by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President, William Ruto on Sunday evening.
“It is historic for Kenya’s aviation sector to witness the inaugural direct flight between Nairobi and New York finally take off. The direct air link between our country and the US present great opportunities in trade, tourism and people-to-people relations” said President Kenyatta in a tweet.
Immediately the eagle landed, Kenyans took to social media to celebrate the team led by Captain Joseph Kinuthia and Eric Mbugua, assisted by Jobba Musa and Patrick Kipsambu.
KOT could not hide their excitement for this moment of national pride as they congratulated Kenya Airways on it’s maiden direct flight to the US.
Congratulations to @KenyaAirways for landing safely @JFKairport minutes ago! #KQNBONYC #USKEPartnership
CC @BobGodec
Video Courtesy of Rogers Karani. pic.twitter.com/RApQaJfULD
— U.S. Embassy Nairobi (@USEmbassyKenya) October 29, 2018
The Eagle has landed!! So so proud to be Kenyan today! @KenyaAirways #KQNBONYC #KQDirectFlight #Kenya (Video: Courtesy.) pic.twitter.com/FL6DaqnxNZ
— Terryanne Chebet (@TerryanneChebet) October 29, 2018
Among the passengers on the maiden flight from Nairobi to New York were Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amb. Monica Juma, US Ambassador Robert Godec, CNN Journalist Richard Quest, Transport Principal Secretary Esther Koimett and Kenya Airways CEO Sebastian Mikosz.
Two innovators, Shirlene Nafula and Evans Wadongo were also on-board after they were handed their return tickets for the inaugural flight by State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena.
Kenya Airways flight is now the first airline to offer a non-stop flight between East Africa and the US offering the fastest connection from the region to New York. The new move is expected to boost tourism in the country and enhance business between the two continents.
Do you think the new KQ Kenya to US flight is affordable for the middle-class Kenyan?