IndiGo Adds Nairobi as its 27th International Destination

IndiGo announced non-stop flight to Nairobi, Kenya as part of a larger international expansion plan.

IndiGo, which has dominated the domestic market for years, is now actively working towards its overseas expansion. Nairobi was part of the airline's plan to expand into Africa and Central Asia.

IndiGo will begin non-stop flights from Mumbai to Nairobi. This will be the 27th international destination and the 105th total in the 6E Network. Bookings for the daily flights are now open on the airline's website. The new service is scheduled to begin on 5th August. IndiGo will launch its first commercial flight to Africa on August 5th. Vinay Malhotra commented on the IndiGo's global sales head:

"Kenya is our first destination country in Sub-Saharan Africa and encompasses Savannah, Lakelands, as well as mountain highlands..."

John Chirchir (A.G. CEO Kenya Tourism Board) believes this will be great for both the tourism industry and the business sector in general. He continued,

"This direct access to Nairobi, Kenya's capital city and a regional hub for business and travel, will provide leisure tourists, business visitors, and investors with a seamless connection to the destination, in addition to our national carrier, Kenya Airways ... Through our joint marketing and sales campaigns, we strive to solidify Kenya's appeal and attract more Indian travelers to explore its wonders."

India's carriers have not traditionally placed a lot of emphasis on Africa. African airlines are primarily responsible for meeting the demand of passengers who want non-stop flights. However, this is slowly changing.

Air India has started a nonstop flight from Ahmedabad to Nairobi in its mission of repatriation during COVID, called Vande Bharat Mission. Air India now offers thrice-weekly flights to Nairobi from the airline's hub in Delhi.

Kenya Airways will be IndiGo's main competitor from Mumbai, as it operates two daily flights to Nairobi. The Boeing 737 is used on this route and offers 16 business class seats as well as 129 economy. IndiGo's performance on this route will be determined in the end, as well as if the airline enters into any future partnerships for Kenya and Africa.

IndiGo has a larger international expansion plan that includes Nairobi. The carrier announced earlier this month that it would be adding six new destinations in Asia and Africa. These include Nairobi, Jakarta and Tashkent.

It also uses its codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines to provide convenient connections for its passengers to the West. The carrier currently offers connections to over 30 European destinations, including Scotland, Bulgaria and the Netherlands. It also provides access to the Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom, Malta, France.

IndiGo expanded its codeshare agreement, which began on June 15th, to include destinations in the US. This includes New York, Boston and Chicago via Istanbul. IndiGo currently commands more than 60% share of the Indian domestic air travel market. It is now preparing to expand its international presence by launching these new codeshare connections and services.

Source: simpleflying.com