► CHINA: Kenya Airways announces Guangzhou as début 777-300ER route due in mid November.

Kenya Airways (KQ) is set to launch 3x weekly direct flights from its Nairobi hub to Guanghzhou, China this year using its new Boeing 777-300ER. The aircraft, the first in the fleet, is due in East Africa in mid October in time for its deployment on November 19. At the moment, Kenya Airways flies to Guangzhou via Bangkok, daily.

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Kenya Airways’ Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Titus Naikuni, said that the new direct flights to Guangzhou would facilitate interaction between the two regions by opening up Africa to China.

“China has emerged as a key trading partner for Africa. Our direct flights to Guangzhou seek to build on this relationship in order to make a contribution towards sustainable development of Africa, which is in line with our core purpose as a company,” Dr. Naikuni added.

Kenya Airways(KQ): Nairobi - Guangzhou

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Together with code-share partner, China Southern, whose hub is Guangzhou, Kenya Airways will be able to service most parts of China. China Southern is the biggest carrier in Asia. The aircraft, part of a pair of new Boeing 777-300ER jets, are on a 12-year lease from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) with the second due in Q2 2014.