South Africa Airways adds flights to Nairobi

South African Airways has introduced a direct daily flight to Nairobi increasing its capacity on the route to 582 seats per week. The airline has been flight to Nairobi through other African cities.The inaugural flight by airbus AB340-200/300 with full capacity touched down in Nairobi on Tuesday.Aaron Munetsi, SAA Regional General Manager for Africa and the Middle East said business travelers in Kenya will experience award winning service enhanced by the lie flat seat offering.

Kenya is a key destination for our East Africa operations and the introduction of a larger aircraft type on this route is an important step towards increasing the flying options and comfort for our loyal travelers,said Munetsi.Working or relaxing while on board is an option for customers and this aircraft offers them the opportunity to make the best of their flying time,said Munetsi.Munetsi said the SAA daily flights will boost Kenya's economy as it will bring tourists who will have a chance to sample tourist destinations in Kenya.Kenya offers a host of attractions for leisure travelers with iconic white sands and evocative beaches and prolific wildlife famous of which is the annual Maasai Mara wild beast migration,said Munetsi.The annual wildebeest migration has been described as one of the wonders of the world and by far the biggest migration of animals on the African continent.

Meanwhile national carrier Kenya Airways has moved to boost its aircraft piloting crew capacity in a race to increase the number of first officers and captains for its growing fleet.The airline sent eight Ab initio pilots for training in South Africa. Ab initio is pilot training for those who have had no previous experience and will be trained at a total cost of Ksh 43 million.This brings to 45 the total number of Ab Initio recruits currently under training in South Africa. The company already has a total of 377 pilots in its employment.Group Human Resource Director Paul Kasimu said the airline was focusing on increasing the number of pilots in tandem with the increase and renewal of its current fleet as well as to meet the demands of the larger route network that Kenya Airways was developing.The programme begun in 1991 and trained 5 pilots. However it took a break and resumed in May 2003.Currently 229 pilots have trained in South Africa, 158 have qualified and joined Kenya Airways.