Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, recently announced its inaugural passenger flight to Kenya, at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi.

The new daily, two-class A320 service is the airline’s first passenger service to East Africa and a critically important step in expanding its presence in Africa.

The airline aims to reach into West Africa with the introduction of flights to Nigeriain July, 2012. Etihad Airways commenced operations to the Seychellesin November, 2011, andLibyain January of this year, building on existing services to Egypt, South Africa, Morocco and Sudan.

Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer James Hogan said: “We are delighted to introduce Etihad Airways to East Africa. This year will see considerable growth for us within Africa as a whole, as we observe strong and emerging markets across the continent.”

Etihad Airways began dedicated cargo services toNairobiin March 2009 and will continue to operate five freight-only flights per week. The combined capacity of passenger and cargo aircraft will allow the airline to transport 340 tonnes of cargo each week.

Etihad Airways operates daily flights from Karachi, Lahore & Islamabad, and twice a week from Peshawar. It offers 23 flights from Pakistanto its home base, Abu Dhabi. Travellers can enjoy seamless connectivity from Pakistan to Nairobi.