KENYA: Hopes For Kenya-US Direct Flights

US President Barack Obama’s bilateral talks with his Kenyan host president Uhuru Kenyatta Saturday renewed hopes for sooner start of direct flights between the two countries.

The talks which also saw major signings on cooperation against the extreme violence and terrorism, education, infrastructure, health and taxation now heightens hopes of Kenya to boost economic ties with the US.

President Obama confirmed the deliberation on the subject that has seen Kenyan aviation authorities struggle to attain the required category one to enable flights between Nairobi and states in the US begin.

“Our governments are also working to facilitate the direct flights between US and Kenya as soon as possible,” Mr Obama said after the bilateral talks.

If successful, the plan will go along away towards rescuing Kenya’s hard hit tourism sector as it will form a direct pipeline for American tourists coming straight to Kenya.

“Both countries have been keen in starting the direct flights to improve our trade ties and improve bilateral trade. This will be one of the issues on our agenda as we hold talks with President Obama this weekend. We are keen to see that all the issues pending before we are granted the category one status are resolved and we will be reviewing progress to that effect,” Mr Kenyatta said on Tuesday during his state of the nation address.

Direct flights from the US will be greater news coming a month before China Southern Airlines makes its inaugural direct flight between Nairobi and Guangzhou.

Kenya’s bid to initiate direct flights to America has been a weighty matter for the local aviation players as the country strives to meet the category one status before America flights begin landing and taking off at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

President Obama’s positive word on the subject will definitely be a big boost for speedy start of the flights that were expected to begin in August.

In April, former Kenya Civil Aviation Acting Director General Joseph Chebungei said the final technical audit by American regulators would be done by July after which Kenya will have met the full conditions allowing direct flights between the two countries.

'’Direct flights to the USA was a target for us this financial year. We have had to review our aviation act in line with the recommendations by the Federal Aviation (FAA) and the National Transport Safety Authority of America of which parliament is going to conclude soon. After the final technical audit in June that will give us category one then the latest we believe the flights will begin in August, '’ Mr Chebungei said.

Kenya has passed International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit with a score of 78.42 per cent (from 66 per cent in 2013) placing Kenya among the top quarter states Globally and among the top four in Africa.

The United States is now Kenya’s second most important trading partner with Kenya’s exports to the US amounting to Sh30 billion last year.

Currently Kenya mainly exports textiles to the US with growing hopes of more diversified, trade and investment in energy, technology, and manufacturing as bilateral ties get better.

Kenya was ranked 96th largest goods trading partner with $1.1 billion in total (two way) goods trade to the US in 2013. The East African Economic giant was also e United States' 95th largest goods export market in the same year.