Kenyan national carrier, Kenya Airways has been granted air traffic rights to the United States airspaces, taking it a step closer to direct flights to the US, reports AllAfrica.com.
According to the report, Kenya’s Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia told Capital FM Business the airline is now waiting for other crucial licenses to see it fly to the US by March 2018.
Among the crucial licenses include the Air Service License which gives it commercial approval and the Air Operating Certificate, which gives it technical authority to operate to the US.
The airline has to seek clearance from the US-Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] before commencing flights to America.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport [JKIA] attained “Category one” status on February 23, 2017, having met the mandatory status required by US authorities.
Under President Barrack Obama, trade and investments between Kenya and the US reportedly recorded remarkable growth, with net imports increasing by 206.4 per cent from the previous administration.
If and when all the necessary permissions and licences are granted, Kenya Airways hopes to launch the Kenya-US direct flights with its Boeing 787- Dreamliner fleet.
www: allafrica.com