Kenya Airways (KQ) has reduced its carrying capacity for flights to India by temporarily phasing out larger planes in favour of smaller aircraft. The country’s leading air courier will now have less seats for flights between Nairobi and Mumbai, the capital of India.
Currently, KQ has 10 flights operating between the two cities. These flights were previously run by B767 planes which had a carrying capacity of 300 passengers (according to Boeing, the world’s leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined). Now 3 out of 10 flights will be run by the smaller 149 passenger B737 planes.
KQ plans to use the smaller planes based on the current declining demand for flights to the region. Since the holiday season has come to an end, East Africa’s leading regional flight operator has decided to redeploy the larger B767 to routes where a greater capacity is needed.
Passengers can take heart based on the fact that, though the B737 is small, it is capable of flying non-stop between Nairobi and Mumbai. KQ plans to upgrade its B767 to an even larger plane in April when trips between the two countries are expected to peak once again.
Below are the KQ flight fares for round trip economy tickets along with the charges from other regional couriers (Nairobi to Mumbai)*:
| Courier | Ticket Prices |
| Kenya Airways (KQ) | USD 565 (KES 49,000) |
| Gulf Air | USD 497 (KES 43,100) |
| Etihad Airways | USD 504 (KES 43,700) |
| Ethiopian Airlines | USD 519 (KES 45,000) |
| Qatar Airways | USD 567 (KES 49,200) |
| Emirates | USD 589 (KES 51,100) |
*Ticket prices are based on the latest data from Africa Point, KQ and Fare Compare.