Flights between France capitol Paris and Nairobi are scheduled to return starting March 25, 2018 after 18 years.
The return of the direct flight from Kenyan capitol to Paris after an 18-year pause signals an upsurge in need for direct flights connecting Nairobi to other global cities.
In a notice on Monday, the French airline indicated flights between Paris and Nairobi will be operating three times in a week.
“Air France in summer 2018 season plans to resume service to Kenya, as the skyteam member schedules Paris CDG-Nairobi operation. From 25 March 2018, Boeing 787-9 aircraft will operate this route three times a week. Reservation for this route opened late last week,” read a notice from the airline.
Before its hiatus, it operated until 2000.
Its return comes in footsteps of other airlines returning their bases in the country, a sign of increased passenger demand.
For example, the German airline, Lufthansa resumed direct flights to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) two years ago.
Before its return, it had been absent for 18 years.
India’s national carrier, Air India is also expected to resume direct flights to and from Nairobi later this year after seven years absence.
Dutch based airline TUI Netherlands is expected to resume direct fights to Kenya at the Mombasa airport after three years absence. The airline withdrew from the route citing security concerns.