Nairobi to become IndiGo’s 27th international destination
IndiGo has announced non-stop flights to Nairobi, Kenya, as part of its larger international expansion program. After commanding a massive lead in the domestic market, IndiGo has been actively pursuing its goal of overseas expansion. The airline previously announced its intention to expand to several new destinations in Africa and Central Asia, and Nairobi is part of that plan.
Hello, Nairobi!
IndiGo is set to start non-stop flights between Mumbai and Nairobi, which will become the budget carrier’s 27th international and 105th overall destination in the 6E network. The airline has opened the booking for these daily flights on its website, and the new service will begin on August 5th. This will be IndiGo’s first scheduled commercial service to Africa. Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales at IndiGo, commented,
“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, feels this would be great for the tourism sector of the country and business in general. He added,
“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.”
Competition
Africa has traditionally not featured heavily on the network maps of Indian carriers. Passenger demand for non-stop flights to the continent is mainly met by African airlines, but things are changing gradually.
Air India did start a non-stop flight between Ahmedabad and Nairobi as part of its repatriation mission during COVID called the Vande Bharat Mission. The airline now has thrice-weekly service to Nairobi from its Delhi hub.
IndiGo’s direct competition from Mumbai will come from Kenya Airways, which operates two daily services to Nairobi. The airline deploys its Boeing 737 aircraft on the route, offering 16 business and 129 economy class seats. It remains to be seen how IndiGo fares on this route eventually and if it enters any partnerships in the future for the markets in Kenya and Africa.
Big plans
Nairobi is part of IndiGo’s larger plan of international expansion. Earlier this month, the carrier announced the addition of six new destinations across Asia and Africa, connecting destinations such as Nairobi, Jakarta, Tashkent, and Baku, among others, in the coming months.
The carrier is also utilizing its codeshare partnership with Turkish Airlines to offer its passengers convenient connections to the West. It currently provides connections to more than 30 destinations in Europe that offer access to countries including Scotland, Bulgaria, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, Belgium, Hungary, Denmark, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Malta, France, the Czech Republic, Israel, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and Portugal.
IndiGo has even expanded the codeshare agreement to destinations in the US, allowing access to New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington via Istanbul, effective June 15th. Currently, IndiGo commands a share of more than 60% of the Indian domestic market and is preparing to bolster its international presence with these new services and codeshare connections.
