Air tickets back to Nairobi double to Sh18,000 after Christmas
A Kisumu Airport Staff marshals a Silverstone airplane during its maiden touchdown at Kisumu International Airport on October 10, 2017. PHOTO | ONDARI OGEGA | NMG
The cost of tickets from Mombasa to Nairobi on the budget carrier Jambojet has increased from a low of Sh6,400 for those travelling today to a high of Sh14,280 for passengers booking on December 27.
A good number of travellers will be making their way back to the city after the Christmas break and the Boxing Day holiday on Monday, raising the demand for air travel amid low capacity from airlines.
The cost of a one-way ticket between today and Monday to Nairobi from the coast and western Kenya has remained low for lack of demand.
The price of air tickets to Nairobi from Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret after Christmas has more than doubled on the back of high demand from passengers travelling back to the city after the festive season.
The cost of tickets from Mombasa to Nairobi on the budget carrier Jambojet has increased from a low of Sh6,400 for those travelling today to a high of Sh14,280 for passengers booking on December 27, and that fare is set to rise further closer to the travel date.
A good number of travellers will be making their way back to the city after the Christmas break and the Boxing Day holiday on Monday, raising the demand for air travel amid low capacity from airlines.
The cost of a one-way ticket between today and Monday to Nairobi from the coast and western Kenya has remained low for lack of demand, but passengers travelling from the capital to Mombasa, Kisumu, Ukunda, Eldoret, Malindi and Lamu experienced costly fares.
For instance, a passenger traveling to Kisumu on Jambojet today (Friday) will pay Sh16,400 while those travelling back from the same destination will pay a low of Sh4,400.
Kenya Airways will be charging Sh18,545 for a one-way ticket for passengers travelling on December 27 from Mombasa to Nairobi on the evening flight while the morning ones will go for Sh9,750 for morning and mid-day trips with Fly 540 charging up to Sh10,540 on the same date.
Passengers travelling on national carrier next week Tuesday will pay up to Sh11,280 from Kisumu to Nairobi from an average of Sh7,000 that KQ is charging between now and Sunday.
Fly 540 from Kisumu to Nairobi on December 27 is fully booked, highlighting the high demand for air travel from a region that is synonymous with flying.
Kisumu route is one of the popular destinations in Kenya when it comes to air travel, competing with tourist hotspots towns of coastal Kenya.
Kenya Airways has increased flights on the Kisumu route from three to four daily on the back of an increase in the number of passengers seeking air travel.
Eldoret route, which has not been so popular with flying, will see the cost of a single way air ticket go up from a low of Sh5,400 to a high of Sh11,280 next week.
Air passengers are staring at hard times this festive season as the budget airlines to the popular destinations are sold out on the eve of Christmas.
Popular destinations such as Malindi and Ukunda in South Coast are fully booked today (Friday). Fly 748 to Mombasa and Ukunda is fully booked today as well. The Kisumu route is also fully sold out on this airline this Friday.
The high demand has seen airlines increase their frequencies to the popular routes such as Mombasa with demand outstripping the available capacity.
