Three Kenyan airlines, Safarilink, AirKenya and Bluebird Aviation, plan to launch commercial and charter flights from Nairobi to the newly upgraded Arusha Airport in northern Tanzania, hoping to tap business from connectivity to the regional diplomatic hub.
The three carriers, which have largely operated domestic flights within Kenya, have applied to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority to amend their licences to include new routes to Arusha from Nairobi’s two airports.
This comes after a major upgrade at Arusha Airport, completed in June, with Tanzanian authorities now working to designate it as an international entry and exit point – equipping it with customs and immigration desks.
The new flights will improve access to the northern Tanzanian city, which hosts the East African Community headquarters and key organs such as the East African Legislative Assembly and the East African Court of Justice.
Currently, Kenyans travelling to Arusha must either go by road or use Kilimanjaro International Airport, 53 kilometres away, at a minimum transfer cost of $50 (Sh6,400), which raises the cost of travel.
New routes
The airport’s Sh571 million (Tsh11 billion) upgrade, begun in 2020, now allows it to handle larger planes and more passengers.
Its runway has been extended to 1,860 metres from roughly 1,640 metres, and it can accommodate up to 1,000 passengers at a time, up from about 150 previously.
AirKenya and Safarilink told the regulator they will operate the new routes from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, while Bluebird – mainly a charter operator – will serve the route from both Wilson and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
AirKenya, which currently flies to some 19 destinations across Kenya, including Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Lewa and Loisaba Conservancies, Meru, Nanyuki, Samburu, Tsavo, and Ol Pejeta, has indicated it will start scheduled flights to Arusha from January 1.
Safarilink currently flies to 17 destinations in Kenya, including Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo, Nanyuki, Samburu, Lamu, Diani, Kisumu, Kitale, Lodwar, Migori, and Malindi. In the region, it has started flights to Kilimanjaro and Entebbe.
The carrier has been on a regional expansion spree, launching flights to Entebbe and Arusha over the past month, intensifying competition with established airlines like Kenya Airways and Jambojet.
In addition, Safarilink is seeking approval to operate flights to Dar-es-Salaam, Mwanza, Musoma, and the Serengeti via Arusha. Avedi told Business Daily that these onward routes in Tanzania will operate as charter flights.
Alex Avedi, Safarilink CEO, said the expansion is meant to capture popular tourism destinations in the region, and that the carrier will increase its fleet to serve the additional routes.
