Kenya Airways (KQ) Cargo has resumed direct freighter flights between Nairobi and New Delhi. The national carrier’s first uplift from New Dehli included pharma, machinery, and general merchandise.
“We are pleased to keep your cargo moving once per week from India to Africa,” said the airline in a tweet.
KQ flight time between Nairobi and New Delhi
A direct flight from India to Kenya will take approximately 17h 28m, covering 5049 km. Nairobi’s shortest route to the Asian nation is the Mumbai route- an average flight time of 10h 40m.
India is considered the second-most populous country after China, with a continually growing economic force. It is a hub of manufacturing, and increasingly, technology.
Located on the Asian subcontinent, India is at a crossroads of international trade between Africa, the Middle East and Europe to the west and the major Asian economies to the east.
But lack of investment in cargo freighters has seen Kenya Airways lose the cargo business opportunity when most carriers have cancelled international flights.
Although KQ has converted some of its Dreamliners into cargo planes, the carrier is still carrying less cargo on a one-way trip to Europe, with a limited load on the return leg.
Rivalry in the cargo business
Its closes rival Ethiopian Airlines has more than seven B777 planes, ging it a competitive edge in the cargo business over KQ.
Before Covid-19, KQ was flying daily to London, Paris and Amsterdam, carrying about 20 tonnes (belly cargo) every day to each destination in Europe.
With the outbreak of Coronavirus, the carrier is now flying a limited tonnage of cargo to Europe, meaning that they carry much less using passenger aircraft.
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