Africa-Press – Angola. The landing of an Airbus A220-300 aircraft carrying more than 100 passengers on Monday (01) afternoon at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, marked the official opening of the Luanda-Nairobi-Luanda commercial flight.
With this inaugural flight, the Luanda-Nairobi route, operated by an aircraft with a capacity to carry 135 passengers, now has three weekly flights (Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays), a journey lasting approximately 4 hours.
Upon arrival, the Airbus A220-300 was “christened” with two water jets and towed by a tractor decorated with the Angolan and Kenyan flags.
Upon disembarking, passengers were welcomed to the rhythm of traditional local and African dance, followed by the symbolic cutting of the ribbon and the cake, an event co-led by the Angolan ambassador to Kenya, Mário Azevedo, Chairman of the Executive Board of TAAG, Clóvis Rosa, and Kenya’s Secretary for Aviation, Terezia Mbaika.
On that occasion, Clóvis Rosa informed that the opening of this route is a tangible sign of TAAG’s expansion and a response to customers’ needs, a clear sign of increased connectivity in Africa.
According to the manager, intra-African connectivity is still low, and TAAG will continue to connect African cities internally with direct flights.
He added that the goal is to connect East Africa to the South American continent, such as Kenya and Brazil and vice-versa, two countries that represent tourism as one of their flagships, and can also connect Europe, China, and other international markets.
Regarding sustainability, Clóvis Rosa considered it one of the pillars the Angolan company seeks based on trade efficiency.
He said that TAAG works to continue commercial growth and achieve sustainability, connecting African capitals so that business can grow, in addition to continuing to invest in new aircraft and opening new routes, such as Abidjan, Accra, and Cape Verde.
In turn, Angolan diplomat Mário Azevedo expressed his conviction that the opening of the aforementioned air connection will boost trade between the two countries and promote cultural exchange between Angolans and Kenyans.
The Luanda/Nairobi/Luanda route also offers an alternative for travelers whose final destinations are countries such as Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Maghreb region.
The inaugural trip included commercial passengers and guests, including public figures, politicians, senior airline officials, and members of the Kenyan embassy in Angola.
According to Ambassador Mário Azevedo, the implementation of this route had the support of the Presidents of Angola and Kenya, João Lourenço and William Ruto, respectively.
The new connection also reinforces TAAG’s commitment to expanding its network, facilitating trade, diplomatic relations, tourism, intra-African mobility, and intercontinental traffic.
TAAG is a leading airline in the Angolan aviation market, which has seen signs of sustainable growth and currently has 13 domestic and 11 international destinations.
In addition to passenger transportation, its fleet also transports cargo, an increasingly essential service for the development of the local ecosystem.
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