New Links Between India and Kenya Planned

New direct links are to be offered between the Indian region of Gujarat and Kenya to cater for the large number of Gujarati people have settled in the country and other African regions. A formal agreement was reached between the two destinations during a visit by a 14-strong business delegation from Kenya, headed by Vice President Dr Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka. During meetings with the Chief Minister of the region, Narendra Modi, they discussed mutually beneficial areas for trade. No decisions have yet been taken on which airlines will serve the route, most likely from Ahmedabad, or the frequency of the proposed flights.

Gujarat is a state in western India. It has an area of 75,686 sq mi (196,077 km2) with a coast line of 1,600 km, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula, and a population in excess of 50 million. Its capital is Gandhinagar, but its largest city is Ahmedabad.

Approximately 154,000 O&D passengers travelled between India and Kenya in the past year with around 16,000 estimated to have travelled between Ahmedabad and Nairobi. With no direct flights these passengers have had to fly via the hubs of Qatar Airways in Doha (46 per cent) or Emirates Airline in Dubai (42 per cent). A further 9 per cent have made use of the low-cost flights of Air Arabia via Sharjah; the latter offering average fares around a third cheaper than its rivals.