The Cat Is Still In The Bad; Captain for Nairobi To New York flight Still A Top Secret

It’s all systems go for the inaugural Kenya Airways flight from Nairobi to New York. In just about three days, President Kenyatta will flag off the historic flight from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after the airport secured a Last Point of Departure clearance earlier in the year.

President Kenyatta and other dignitaries will be part of the passengers in the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, featuring 30 fully flat business class seats and 204 economy seats.

 

Yesterday, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Monica Juma met with top government officials to wrap up the preparations ahead of the inaugural flight. In attendance were senior officials in the Executive Office of the President, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Department of Transport, and State Department for Trade, Brand Kenya Board, Kenya Airways, Kenya Airports Authority, and representatives from the private sector.

The Kenya Airways flight will be first airline to offer a non-stop flight between East Africa and the US offering the fastest connection from the region to New York, with 15 hours duration eastbound and 14 hours westbound.

“We can now haul cargo or passengers within a short time; it is cost effective, so we expect to see the volumes of passengers, tourism, and business people increase between these two continents,” said CS Monica Juma.

The Cabinet Secretary who is expected to be on the inaugural flight also added that the direct connection to the United States will single out Kenya as a key aviation hub and improve the efficiency of travel between African and America.

However, while all other details about the historic have been confirmed, what is still unknown is who will have the honor of flying the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Earlier in the year there were rumors that, the first female African Captain of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Irene Koki Mutungi was going to fly the maiden US flight.

However, Koki Mutungi on her Instagram dismissed the rumors saying that the airline had not yet selected who would be flying the plane but hoped that she would get the honor.

Today, Captain Koki posted photos on her Instagram with CNN journalist, Richard Quest, which reignited the rumors that she was the ‘chosen one.’

However, Koki yet again dismissed the rumors saying that she was not the one flying the Dreamliner and did not reveal who got the honorable opportunity.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure led by CS James Macharia has assured Kenyans of a seamless launch of the inaugural flight despite a threatened industrial action by Kenya Airways workers.

“The workers from pilots, cabin crew, to ground handling a majority of whom are Kenyans (98 per cent) are very patriotic. They know that the prospects of their jobs will be a lot better by the fact that they are working for an airline that is flying to the US,” Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said on Wednesday.

“Whereas a few may want to take chances with the threatened strike, I can assure that we’ve had positive engagements and they flight will take off,” he added.

Deputy President, William Ruto is scheduled to receive the plane at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

 

How do you think will get the honorable chance of flying the President and other dignitaries in the historic flight?

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