Emirates Airlines boosts Kenya-US networkBy XINHUA | Wednesday, April 25  2012 at  17:52

Emirates Airlines said on Wednesday that customers travelling from Kenya to the US are set to enjoy seamless connections to a dozen American cities, after the airline announced the start of a one-way codeshare with JetBlue.

Emirates Regional Manager for East Africa Essa Sulaiman Ahmad said in Nairobi that the deal would enable customers to enjoy the convenience of a single combined ticket for Emirates and JetBlue- operated flights, plus other benefits including one-stop check-in and baggage transfer.

"This partnership is the latest step in Emirates' strategic programme of expansion across the United States, and we are confident that it will support the burgeoning tourism and trade relationships between Kenya and the United States of America," Ahmad said.

About 87,000 Kenyans now live in the US, more than four times the total of Ugandans or Tanzanians, according to Migration Policy Institute, a Washington-based non-governmental organisation.

As a one-way codeshare, an Emirates' flight number will be placed on JetBlue services to Boston (BOS), Burlington (BTV), Buffalo (BUF), Charlotte (CLT), Chicago (ORD), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Jacksonville (JAX), Orlando (MCO), Portland, Maine (PWM), Raleigh/Durham (RDU), Tampa (TPA) and Washington Dulles (IAD).

"This deal takes Emirates' network within the United States to almost 20 cities through our partner JetBlue, making flying to the United States from Nairobi smoother and more convenient than ever before," Ahmad said.

Emirates currently offers two daily non-stop flights to JFK – including service aboard its flagship Airbus A380 and its ultra- long range Boeing 777-300ER.