Virgin Atlantic Launches Services in Kenya

Virgin Atlantic launches services in Kenya

NAIROBI, June 2 (Xinhua) — Britain’s second largest airline, Virgin Atlantic, on Saturday launched its maiden flight into Nairobi, as part of its expansion services to Kenya.

The flight marks the inauguration of the company’s daily flights between UK’s Heathrow Airport and Nairobi and the services will be operated by an Airbus A340-600 aircraft with 240 seats onboard — 34 Upper Class, 35 Premium Economy and 171 Economy.

The Airline’s Airbus A340-600 landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi shortly after 6:30 am (0330 GMT) with over 320 passengers onboard amongst them several tourists and business people from the United Kingdom.

Officially launching its services in the country, Kenyan Vice President Moody Awori who received the passengers, among them the Airline Chairman, Sir Richard Branson, said Kenya was delighted that the company had shown interest of investing in the country.

He noted that the move will accelerate and increase trade between the two countries and promote tourism.

Awori said Kenya believed in liberalized market, hence, it welcomed any interested investors to participate in her economy so as to create wealth.

“With investments we will be able to create wealth for our people, and save our country the shame of depending on external donors,” he said.

Awori commended the company for funding the elephant corridor which he said will enable the elephants multiply and end human- elephant conflict thus promoting part of the country’s tourist attractions.

Awori observed that tourism industry was one of the country’s major income earners, hence the government’s concern in protecting and preserving its wildlife besides conservation of the environment to enable the industry to flourish.

He noted that Kenya as a trustee of wildlife, was committed to the preservation of her animals, particularly, the elephant, whose population he noted had been decreased from 100,000 to less than 30,000 due to human-animal conflict.

Sir Richard Branson noted that the new flights will increase the volume of trade between Kenya and the United Kingdom thus assist in uplifting the living standards of the two countries’ peoples.

He noted that Kenya was rich in wildlife and urged the locals to preserve and protect their wildlife as it earned the country foreign exchange.

That is why, he added, the company, in partnership with mobile telephone company, Safaricom and other sponsors had decided to create the new elephant corridor to the North of Mount Kenya, to provide a lifeline for local communities and the dwindling elephant population in the region.

“Around 500,000 people fly to Nairobi each year to enjoy the beautiful Kenyan scenery and wildlife it has to offer at its outstanding game reserves with large numbers of passengers also flying to and from America, via London,” said Branson.

“It is also the leading hub for East Africa providing a gateway for the whole of East Africa and the India Ocean and Nairobi is an important city in its own right with many international institutions based there.”

The flights from Heathrow will depart at 19:15 and will arrive in Nairobi the following day at 6:05.

Return flights from Nairobi depart at 8:20 from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and will arrive at 14:55 at London Heathrow Airport.

(c) 2007 Xinhua News Agency – CEIS. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.