Kenya Airways launches travel package to woo Asian, Mideast traders

Kenya Airways on Monday launched a new travel package to visitors to the Middle East and the Far East at a special fare of 999 U.S. dollars. The Green City Promotion is valid until end of September will see traders travel from the airline's Nairobi hub to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong and Guangzhou in China. "This gesture is meant to appreciate traders, who have been our key customers and partners in encouraging sustainable development over the last 36 years of our operations," Kenya Airways Area Manager Albert Abwoga said in Nairobi. The new package comes as the national carrier hopes to strengthen its presence in China by offering better connection options to its passengers from Africa and its association with China. Kenya Airways recently inked an agreement with China Eastern Airlines to enable KQ code share on daily services between Bangkok and Shanghai, while China Eastern Airlines will code share on daily Kenya Airways service between Bangkok and Nairobi. Kenya Airways is seeking to more than double the number of its aeroplanes to 115 in the next ten years. The company said it will also take bank loans to finance the ten year expansion plan that will cost 3.6 billion dollars when completed. Abwoga, who unveiled the package on Monday during a recent traders' forum held in Nairobi, said the airline was keen to provide the best travel services to traders in these markets. The traders' forum was meant to interact and understand their travel patterns and some of the destinations that are important to them as well as develop packages that are suited to their needs. Abwoga stated that in its efforts to deliver a world-class experience for its customers, the airline is constantly exploring new routes and adjusting frequencies on existing destinations to suit their needs. The Middle East and Far East regions are emerging as key destinations for traders. The "Green City Promotion" comes as the airline prepares to launch direct flights to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates from July 1. Kenya engages in 1.3 billion dollars worth of trade annually with the United Arab Emirates, and Kenyans working in the country send home an estimated 10 million dollars in remittances each year, the bulk of which comes from Dubai. The city of Abu Dhabi is the second Kenya Airways' destination in the UAE after Dubai where the airline already flies to 10 times a week. Abu Dhabi which is the gateway to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, is a cosmopolitan center of business and a tourist attraction, has many things to offer visitors and residents including an immensely versatile landscape, a thriving investment hub and a friendly living environment.