On Wednesday, January 17th 2024, United Arab Emirates carrier Fly Dubai launched flights from Dubai to Mombasa.
The new route signifies increased competition between Fly Dubai and Kenya Airways for flights between Dubai and Mombasa.
The carrier now operates a Boeing 737 aircraft on the Dubai to Mombasa route, with four weekly flights from Dubai International Airport Terminal Three.
The fares for Dubai to Mombasa start at 846 UAE Dirhams (Sh37,000), which matches Kenya Airways’ economy class starting prices.
Fly Dubai’s flights to Mombasa have been scheduled on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Abel Gogo, the Manager of Mombasa International Airport, viewed Fly Dubai’s entry positively.
In his remarks, he anticipated increased competition among carriers, which will potentially lead to lower passenger fares.
“The entry of Fly Dubai is good for Mombasa as a region. With this expansion, we are going to witness increased movement of businesspeople and tourists into Mombasa,” Mr Gogo stated.
This move comes eight years after Kenya’s former Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia granted it the rights in 2016.
It’s the first national carrier from the United Arab Emirates to offer this route.
The carrier plans to collaborate with Emirates by sharing codes on the route, providing passengers with more connection options through Dubai’s international aviation hub.
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Fly Dubai Strengthening UAE-Africa Trade and Tourism Ties
By launching flights to Mombasa, Fly Dubai has expanded its African network to 11 destinations in 10 countries.
These include Addis Ababa, Alexandria, Asmara, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Entebbe, Hargeisa, Juba, Mogadishu, and Zanzibar.
“Dubai has seen steady growth in investment from Africa since Expo 2020 with more than 26,000 African companies registered with Dubai Chamber.
“Our direct flights to Mombasa and our growing operations in Africa will further support free flows of trade and tourism between the UAE and the East African markets,” said Flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith.
Fly Dubai’s arrival in Mombasa follows Kenya’s decision a few months ago to allow Ethiopian Airlines more flights into the city.
Last July, Ethiopia gained the right to fly directly to Mombasa twice a week, promoting increased competition with Kenya Airways.
This decision aligns with the open skies policy, which makes it easier for foreign airlines to access national airports.
Kenya Airways had expressed concerns earlier, cautioning that the country might be entering into agreements that lack reciprocity under this policy.