Fly540 (5H), the Kenyan Low Cost Carrier based in Nairobi, is to receive an ex-Colombian operated Embraer EMB-170 Regional Jet, to complement the Bombardier CRJ-100ER that were recently acquired.
The real question though, is how will larger rival Kenya Airways respond to the growing need for low budget flights in sub-Saharan Africa?
Dubbed "Jambo Jet", Kenya Airways' LCC venture has been on the cards for quite some time, though no mention of it is made inside Kenya Airways' 10 Year Strategic Plan "Project Mawingu" which plans to turn the airline into a dominant force in African aviation come 2021. On what possible plans Kenya Airways may have in terms of aircraft and a likely start this year, a source at Jomo Kenyatta Airport said:
"I would speculate that KQ might send their E170s to Jambo Jet because by now they are more keen on the larger E190 version (expected to join the Kenya Airways fleet in May) which is one of the most cost effective aircraft of its size and class."
