Kenya Airways (KQ) announced that it has resumed scheduled passenger flights between Nairobi and Bangkok, expanding its international network to connect Kenya with more cities worldwide. This is the first time the national airline has operated regular flights to the Thai capital since the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic. Separately, Kenya Airways will relaunch non-stop flights to Mogadishu, Somalia, which was also suspended during the pandemic.
Kenya Airways returns to Bangkok.
Flights between Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) returned on November 21, 2023. KQ launched flights to Bangkok in September 2003, serving the Thai city for nearly 17 years until flights were suspended in 2020.
The route is served five times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays and is tagged to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN). After departing Nairobi, flight KQ886 flies to Bangkok and on to Guangzhou before returning to Nairobi via Bangkok. Flights are operated with Kenya Airways’ Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which offers 204 economy and 30 business (Premier World) class seats.
This resumption expands the SkyTeam member’s network to over 40 international destinations, including nine intercontinental routes between Africa and Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Speaking about the inaugural flight to Bangkok and the airline’s international expansion plans, Kenya Airways Chief Commercial Officer Julius Thairu said,
“Today marks a moment of pride and readiness as we reintroduce our flights to Bangkok, Thailand. This initiative underscores our proactive approach in expanding international routes, urging our passengers to embrace new and enriching travel experiences. Beyond its status as Thailand’s capital and most populous city, boasting a population of over 10 million, Bangkok is a vibrant hub offering a wide range of tourist, art, and cultural attractions for our esteemed customers.”
While Kenya Airways celebrated its November 21 flight as an inaugural service after three years, data from Flightradar24 shows some Nairobi-Bangkok-Guangzhou flights were operated by the airline until February 14, 2023. It is unclear if these were normal scheduled operations or something else.
Source: Simple Flying
