Kenya Airways’ flights from Nairobi to Johannesburg and Cape Town are to be upgraded with a new aircraft.
The airline announced several changes to its route network for the upcoming weeks, part of which is using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner instead of the Boeing 737-800 that is currently used.
All the direct flights to Cape Town (three per week) will be upgraded to the new aircraft from August 1.
At the same time, five of the 26 weekly flights to Johannesburg will be night flights operated with the B787-8.
The B787 offers a more comfortable passenger experience with lie-flat seats in business class and economy-class seats that have a more generous seat pitch, according to the airline.
Capacity is increased too. The B737-800 has 129 economy-class seats and 16 Premier World passengers. The B787 has 204 seats in economy class and 30 in Premier World almost double the capacity of the 737-800.
In other changes to its network, the airline is suspending flights to Bangui in the Central African Republic from August 9. Five weekly flights between Nairobi and Douala in Cameroon will, from August 11, no longer stop in Bangui.
“In light of the current market landscape and as part of our Business Continuity Plan, Kenya Airways has made the strategic decision to make adjustments on its route networks in order to ensure smoother and more efficient operations,” explained Martin Gitonga, Kenya Airways’ Head of Network Planning and Alliances.
