With the second anniversary of the launch of direct flights between Nairobi and New York quickly approaching, the recent decision by Kenya Airways to cancel them could not have come at a worse time. Kenya has the opportunity to significantly grow its share of the US market while improving its balance of trade with America. In relation to the tourism sector, according to the Kenya Tourism Board, the volume of Americans travelling to Kenya grew from about 84,000 in 2015 to over 225,000 in 2018. In terms of diplomacy, it will disrupt direct access to two major global diplomatic centres: New York and Nairobi. Lastly, regional aviation competitors, such as Ethiopian Airlines and RwandAir, will snap up the landing slots abandoned by Kenya Airways in the ultra-competitive New York aviation market.

Source: Daily Nation July 26, 2020 18:56 UTC