Brussels Airlines returns to Nairobi after nine-year hiatus

Brussels Airlines has resumed direct flights to Nairobi after nearly a decade-long hiatus, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) confirmed on Tuesday morning.

The inaugural flight landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Monday night, heralding a new era of connectivity between Europe and East Africa.

The airline said the return was enabled by its recent acquisition of its newly delivered Airbus A330-300 (00-SPF) which will operate six times a week to the region bringing its total number of destinations in sub-Saharan Africa to 18.

Two of the flights, in its outbound leg, will be in Kigali, Rwanda.

During the winter season, the flights will, however, be reduced to four times a week with the freed-up capacity deployed to other destinations within Africa boosting services to Dakar, Banjul and Monrovia.

Suspension

Brussels Airlines had operated the service to Nairobi since its founding in 2002 but got suspended in 2015.

The suspension was mainly because, in 2009, Lufthansa purchased a 45 per cent stake in the carrier, acquiring the remainder in 2017.

"As relations between the two developed, network expansion was coordinated across the Group. Brussels Airlines suspended operations to Nairobi because the group felt customers would prefer a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt, which is better connected to the US and Europe," Belgium media reported.

The reports add that Both Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa will now be operating in Nairobi, complemented by the leisure-focused Discover Airlines to Mombasa.

"The latest route marks a significant capacity increase of Lufthansa Group airline seats to Kenya. The two airlines also cater to two different clientele," Brussels Airlines' Head of Marketing, Michel Moriaux, told Simple Flying.

On its part, Kenya holds that the return of Russels Airlines is a testament to Nairobi's growing significance as a regional hub.

"We are not only celebrating this flight but also looking ahead to future growth," KAA Chairman Caleb Kositany said while receiving the plane at the airport alongside Transport Permanent Secretary Mohamed Daghar, his Immigration counterpart Julius Bitok and the Ambassador of Belgium to Kenya Ambassador Peter Maddens who termed the return flights a "milestone".

Kositany highlighted the government's ambitious plans for the expansion of JKIA which aim to enhance the airport's capacity to handle more passengers and flights.

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"Expanding JKIA is crucial for accommodating the increasing number of international flights and for bolstering our economy through improved connectivity," he said.

The return happened at a time when Kenya is marking 60 years of diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Belgium.