Kenya Airways (KQ, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) is again looking at launching direct flights to Beijing Capital following a state visit to China this week by Kenyan President William Ruto, reports the Kenyan daily The Star.
This aligns with a joint statement issued on April 24 by China and Kenya, confirming that "the two sides are willing to actively explore the opening of direct flights between the capitals of the two countries based on market principles". The move reflects their "long-standing friendship" and "mutual commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation," the statement reads.
Plans for direct flights to Beijing were previously mooted in 2024 by Julius Thairu, Kenya Airways' chief commercial and customer officer, in an interview with Xinhua, China's official state news agency.
Kenya Airways currently serves Guangzhou 3x weekly via Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, with fifth freedom rights on the Bangkok-Guangzhou segment, using a B787-8. It also has a codeshare with China Southern Airlines (CZ, Guangzhou) which also operates the route 3x weekly via Changsha Huanghua, with a B787-9, according to ch-aviation schedules data.
Until late 2013, Kenya Airways served Guangzhou via Bangkok Suvarnabhumi but switched to direct services from Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta in November 2013, using its first B777-300ER. Between 2015 and 2017, flights routed via Hanoi Noi Bai International before returning to the current routing via Bangkok.
ch-aviation has asked Kenya Airways for comment.
