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Kenya Airways Cargo has expanded its route network to include direct cargo flights between Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Mogadishu in Somalia.
In a statement, KQ said the new route will be served weekly, effective 09th February 2024, and is expected to grow to two weekly frequencies in April 2024.
According to KQ Cargo Director Dick Murianki, the new route aligns with KQ’s revamped mission of
propelling Africa’s prosperity by connecting its people, cultures, and markets and strengthening KQ Cargo’s position as Africa’s preferred cargo carrier, offering unique network options for customers.
“We are delighted to expand our world-class logistics service to underserved markets with a solid product, and we believe in having a direct service complemented by Dubai’s trader, transit, humanitarian, and project-driven traffic,” said Murianki.
He added, “The direct route between UAE and Somalia offers huge demand for air freight transportation, particularly high-tech consumer goods, automotive parts, project cargo, and clothing, which are the most frequently flown goods on the route. Kenya Airways has the expertise in the region, and our B737-800F’s apt capacity would be the ideal mix over the long term.”
KQ has partnered with UAE-based cargo sales and service agent, GSA Global Cargo LLC to be the cargo logistics partner to service the route.
GSA Global Cargo LLC CEO Kannan Nachiappan said that the direct connection
between UAE and Somalia offers customers more capacity, cuts transit times, and reduces costs.
“UAE, being a multimodal logistics hub, acts as a primary gateway to Africa, and having a dedicated KQ
Cargo freighters that offer this service help cut transit times and offer scheduled main deck capacity into
several remote destinations across the region. This service would cover a market characterized by narrow
body belly-only options, lengthy transit times, and expensive rates,” Nachiappan stated.
Kenya Airways is also set to direct passenger flights between Nairobi and Mogadishu starting 15th
February 2024.
Also Read: Kenya Airways Partners with Air Europa to Extend its reach into Europe
