Brussels Airlines resumes direct flights to Nairobi

Belgium’s national carrier Brussels Airlines has re-introduced direct flights to Nairobi after a nine-year hiatus.

The airline, which is part of Lufthansa Group, is now operating six weekly flights on the route.

The airline's decision to resume service on the route was prompted by the growing number of travel options between Kenya and other destinations, due to increased availability of connecting flights between Europe and North America via Brussels.

The State Department for Transport has since welcomed the return of the Belgian carrier to the Nairobi-Brussels route.

Speaking during the inaugural return flight to Nairobi on Monday, Transport PS Mohamed Daghar expressed that the weekly flights have been encouraged by Kenya’s Visa-free entry regime.

He further noted that Nairobi's strategic location, coupled with growing corporate and business activities, has transformed it into a regional hub for air travel.

"It is key for us to ensure that we foster our cooperation with the European Union recently signed EU agreement which is a great milestone," said Daghar.

"We are excited as a country that you chose to have direct flights to Nairobi. Our government has been opening the country through the Visa-free regime. If you’re coming to Kenya, you don’t need a visa; you need to fill in your ETA and within five minutes you will be sorted," Immigration PS Julius Bitok added.

To grow its market share in the Kenyan route, the airline has set its eyes on corporate clients traveling for business as well as connecting passengers from the North American region. With Nairobi being home to the United Nations headquarters in Africa, diplomatic and business travel is an integral passenger class for the airline.

"Visiting friends and family is part of your business so we want to facilitate that travel," Brussels Airline CEO Dorthea Von Boxberg said.

According to the Belgian carrier over 50,000 people have already booked their tickets to Nairobi and vice versa since the re-introduction of the route.