Kenya-based regional airline Jambojet will focus on growing its domestic operations before adding any new international routes in 2022.
According to a Business Daily Africa report, the airline’s CEO, Karanja Ndegwa said the airline is not looking to add any new international routes to its existing operations for the remainder of 2022, choosing to focus instead on maintain and expanding its domestic operations within Kenya’s airspace.
Jambojet current operates to Goma in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo from its base in Nairobi, a route launched by the airline in September 2021.
According to the Business Daily Africa this route will remain the airline’s sole international destination for 2022.
“No additional for the year, the rest (routes) are long-term of two to three years, for now we are focusing on growing internally,” said Ndegwa.
Kenya’s first low-cost airline, Jambojet, started a flight service to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma, looking to tap into a projected jump in demand for air travel in Africa https://t.co/1EXUQ5s04H pic.twitter.com/xkkIDGuPbi
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 13, 2021
Jambojet is a subsidiary and brand of Kenya Airways and began operations following its launch in 2014 with a fleet of De Havilland DHC 8 Q400s.
Today, the regional airline operates a fleet of five Q400s according to its website. Historically, the carrier also operated a fleet of Boeing 737s.
Domestically the airline serves six domestic routes within Kenya from its hub at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. These destinations include Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi, Mombasa, Ukunda and Lamu.
Lamu is the carrier’s newest domestic route after reopening in September 2021. It became the airline’s fourth coastal destination.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jambojet had embarked on an expansion plan that would grow its regional network and add more aircraft units to its fleet, according to a statement made in August 2021 by Vincent Rague, chair of Jambojet’s Board of Directors.
“There is a growing demand for air transport across the continent, with the International Air Transport Association projecting that Africa will become one of the fastest growing aviation regions within the next 20 years, with an average annual expansion rate of almost 5%. We, as Jambojet, are keen to be part of this growth,” said Rague.
The airline previously operated regional flights to Kigali, Rwanda and Entebbe, Uganda. After launching its Entebbe route in February 2018, the airline went on to record 17% growth in its operations on the route. Operations on the two routes ceased following a downturn in traffic caused by the pandemic.
However, a trade deal between Kenya and Tanzania, agreed in May 2021, set plans in motion for Jambojet to establish operations to Tanzania.
The deal looks to boost trade, connectivity and the flow of passenger traffic between the two East African nations.
Jambojet’s CEO, Karanja Ndegwa said the airline is looking to operate routes to Tanzania in the future, according to Business Daily Africa.