President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday night presided over a historical milepost for Kenya ’s aviation sector when he flagged off the first Kenya Airways ( KQ ) direct flight from Nairobi to New York . A jovial President Kenyatta led top Government officials and high muckamuck in the short but highly significant ceremonial occasion to tick the start of a new journey for Kenya ’s internal flattop .

The President flag off a KQ Boeing 787 - 8 Dreamliner carrying 234 passengers from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport destined for New York ’s JFK International Airport . The foresighted - haul escape will last 15 hours , reducing the journey by over 7 hours . Among the passengers on the initiatory flight from Nairobi to New York were Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amb . Monica Juma and US Ambassador Robert Godec .

During the flag off ceremony , President Kenyatta hand over the Kenyan flag to Amb . Juma while Amb . Godec was given the American iris by a US Embassy representative . Others on board the direct flight were Transport Principal Secretary Esther Koimett and Kenya Airways CEO Sebastian Mikosz . Also on the flight were two 26 - year honest-to-goodness pioneer , Shirlene Nafula and Evans Wadongo who were handed their comeback slate by State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena and Kenya Airways Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Events Jacquie Muhati at State House Nairobi on October 19 .

The flagging off ceremony was also hang by Deputy President William Ruto , Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko , Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen , Cabinet Secretaries Fred Matiang’i ( Interior ) , Adan Mohamed ( East African Community & Regional Development ) Sicily Kariuki ( Health ) , Margaret Kobia ( Public Service ) , Amina Mohamed ( Education ) , Rashid Echesa ( Sports ) , Eugene Wamalwa ( Devolution ) , Mwangi Kiunjuri ( Agriculture ) and Ukur Yattani ( Labour ) .

The first flight to New York is a major milepost for Kenya ’s air power sphere especially for the numerous economic opportunities in sector such as touristry and trade . A direct air link with the United States will give Kenya increased admittance to the large US economy , the biggest in the world , as well as the entire North American region . JKIA is already one of Africa ’s meddling melodic line transport hub in Africa , and the launch of lineal flights to New York is expected to lift its grandness and cement Nairobi ’s position as one of Africa ’s biggest economical movers .

Kenya Airways already serves at least 40 address in Africa alone and also flies to Europe , Asia , the Middle East and the Indian Sub Continent . The launch of the extra long draw flight is require to attract more US corporation into the Kenyan grocery store , to add to the more than 40 that have already set base in Nairobi as their Africa headquarters . The direct flight will also increase tourist traffic to Kenya with the government image that it will contribute in more corporal and high - end tourists .

The all-embracing Eastern and Central Africa region stands to gain economically from the latest milepost in Kenya ’s active aviation sphere . President Kenyatta has been at the forefront in the sustained endeavour that insure lineal flights between Kenya and the United States became a realness . Beginning with his first visit to the United States in August 2014 when he attended the US - Africa Leader ’s Summit , President Kenyatta has at all metre prioritized Kenya Airways ' direct access to the US .

Over the years , President Kenyatta has hold talks on verbatim flight with top American regime officials starting with his August 2014 sojourn to the US , in September 2014 and September 2015 . This twelvemonth , the Head of State visited the US twice and on both occasion , direct escape was always top on the agenda . The first visit was when President Kenyatta meet his US counterpart Donald Trump in August at the White House in Washington DC . In September , the President was back to the US to attend the United Nations General Assembly during which he met and held discussions with fourth-year US politics official on a number subjects among them the direct flights .

The unmediated flights were also top of the agenda when former US President Barack Obama visited Kenya in 2015 . The President also spearheaded governing measures to ensure JKIA met standards ask to found direct flights to the United States . The measures included base upgrades and improvement of security of the airdrome .

Source : Presidency of the Republic of Kenya