Kenya Airways starts direct Mombasa-UAE cargo flights

Kenya Airways has started direct cargo flights between Mombasa and United Arab Emirates as the airline enhances freight business in the wake of low demand for passenger travel.

The first flight from Moi International Airport in Mombasa started on Wednesday evening to UAE, marking the first time that the carrier has had cargo depart from other point than its Jomo Kenyatta International Airport hub.

The carrier opened up the UAE route from Nairobi this year in June and it has been operating an average of two weekly flights to the Sharjah International Airport.

“We are starting the flights to UAE this evening from Mombasa, the first direct cargo flight to a foreign country outside of Nairobi,” said KQ.

The airline will mainly carry meat products, including tropical fish, fresh fruit and flowers and general cargo to Sharjah and return with general cargo and high tech goods from UAE.

Sharjah International Airport is considered a competitive freight hub in the UAE and provides opportunities to KQ to grow its cargo business.

Mombasa-UAE route comes just weeks after the carrier started direct flights between Johannesburg and other Southern African countries.

Cargo accounted for Sh8.6 billion or 6.7 percent of its Sh128.3 billion sales in the year to December.

Kenya Airways received permission to operate cargo from Johannesburg to Lusaka, Maputo, Harare, Lilongwe and Dar-es-salaam this month.

This comes as a boost to the airline that is currently struggling with low passenger numbers caused by Covid-19. Passengers are core to KQ business.