Nairobi is the fourth city in Africa and the 75th destination in the Singapore Airlines passenger and cargo network, which now spans 39 countries. It operates a fleet of 14 B747-400Fs, dedicated cargo-carriers, and uses its fleet of passenger carriers to also transport large volumes of freight.
This new service will boost the growing freight business links between Kenya and Singapore. The East African nation is a growing trading partner with countries in the South East Asian region and bilateral trade has been steadily increasing for some years and includes Information Technology & Telecommunications equipment, pharmaceuticals and electronics on the import side, and flowers and agricultural produce on the export side.
The greater accessibility to Nairobi will help to enhance the city’s reputation as a major African freight hub for the markets of South East Asia, the South West Pacific and Europe.
“We look forward to serving the people of Kenya by providing trade links not only between our two countries but also between South East Asia, South West Pacific and other key markets,” said Zainul Aljunied, Vice President for the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and Turkey.
Chirau Ali Mwakwere, Kenyan Minister for Transport, says the entry of Singapore Airlines in the cargo transport business between Kenya and Singapore and Europe will greatly boost the import and export business between the East African region and the Far East as well as with Europe. “Kenya’s agriculture, livestock and fishing industries will be direct beneficiaries of this initiative while on the other hand Singapore’s flourishing industrial sector will tremendously gain from links,” he says.
The Minister added that the Kenyan Government through his ministry would continue to support existing air service operators as well as facilitating new ones interested in investing either in cargo or passenger services. In line with this policy, the Kenyan government, in the last four years, has signed 24 bilateral air services agreements and this has attracted new operators to airports in Kenya and expanded the potential route network for Kenyan and foreign operators.
