A new direct flight between East Africa and the United States is expected to strengthen global ties and open up investment opportunities between the regions. Kenya Airways has launched the first direct flight from Nairobi to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, which is expected to increase trade between the two countries by 25 percent.
Kenya Airways joins several other African airlines providing direct service between U.S. and Africa, including South African Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.
The flight begins a new era in the trading relationship between the United States and Kenya. Increased accessibility will make it easier for Kenyan companies to reach the American market, and will also facilitate trade between East Africa and North America.
It was a thrilling, epic 36 hours from departure of the inaugural @KenyaAirways flight #Nairobi to #NewYork to the return! Thank you to everyone who made it happen. Now we should work together to realize all the possibilities it offers to connect us even more closely. #KQNBONYC pic.twitter.com/lnffMf0VLy
— Ambassador Bob Godec (@BobGodec) October 30, 2018
President Trump’s administration has made free, fair and reciprocal trade a priority. A big part of that is the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a U.S. law that allows freer trade between America and Africa.
However, it isn’t just goods and services that will flow more easily. Now that visitors can cross the Atlantic Ocean to Nairobi in just 15 hours, Kenya expects to see a big increase in the number of tourists arriving from the United States, which is already the country’s second-biggest tourism source.
This article was written by freelance writer Maeve Allsup.
