Kenya is bracing to host more Indian tourists following the launch of IndiGo Nairobi flights from the Indian City of Mumbai. The Indian carrier is one of the most affordable airlines in the country. An introductory one-way ticket costs $179 for the economy class. It is way more affordable than Kenya Airways, Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines. The flights commenced on August 5 in a move aimed at establishing market dominance on this route. Once this happens, IndiGo will re-price its airfare from Mumbai to Nairobi and vice versa.
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How Much is IndiGo Nairobi Flights from Mumbai?
IndiGo Nairobi flights one-way fare in the economy class costs $179. A roundtrip ticket is $359 for flights departing from Nairobi while that which starts in Mumbai is $365. These introductory ticket prices for the Indian airline are less than half the cost levied by competitor airlines. Although Indigo will eventually increase its ticket prices in future, it is currently setting its market with the lowest ticket prices on this route.
Indian Airline IndiGo. Photo/Outlook India
For instance, a one-way ticket from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi costs $1,350 with Emirates as of Friday. Therefore, IndiGo is extremely affordable. This low-cost Indian airline will use an Airbus A320neo on the route in a bid to profit from business and leisure travel between Kenya and India. There will be 186 seats in economy class aboard the aircraft. The airline’s Head of Global Sales Vinay Malhotra says this is an important step towards strengthening bilateral ties between India and Kenya.
How Many Indian Tourists Visit Kenya Every Year?
The COVID-19 outbreak caused a significant reduction in the number of Indian visitors travelling to Kenya. Some 122,649 Indian tourists travelled to Kenya in 2019. This number dipped to 42,159 in 2020, and it further decreased to 23,109 in 2021. But in 2022, the number of Indian travellers to Kenya peaked at 81,458.
By the end of August 2023, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) hoped to bring 500,000 Indian tourists to Kenya. Although this is a lofty goal, KTB was optimistic that it would be accomplished given the growing popularity of Kenya among Indian tourists. IndiGo Nairobi flights were capitalizing on this aggressive bid by KTB to establish a lucrative route between Mumbai and the Kenyan capital.
India’s tourism to Kenya was projected to increase due to the following reasons:
- The rising middle class in India, whose wealth is lowering the cost of travel
- Kenya’s expanding appeal as a safari destination
- The close cultural links that Kenya and India share
How Many People Fly to Mumbai From JKIA?
The number of people flying to Mumbai from JKIA varies depending on the time of year. In the peak season, which is during the summer months, over 10,000 people are flying each week. In the off-season, the number of flights drops to around 5,000 per week. However, IndiGo Nairobi flights increased passenger demand between the two cities.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Photo/Nairobi News
In 2022, there were a total of 650,000 people who flew from JKIA to Mumbai. This is a significant increase from 2021 when there were only 450,000 passengers. The increase is likely due to the growing popularity of Kenya as a tourist destination, as well as the increasing number of direct flights between the two cities.
An estimated 100,000 Kenyans flew to India in 2021, according to the High Commission of India in Nairobi. This Asian country has grown in popularity as a medical and business tourism destination for Kenyans. Many Kenyans travel to India for medical treatment, particularly for orthopaedic surgery, heart problems, and cancer. India is a popular destination for medical tourism.
Many Kenyan companies have branches or subsidiaries in India, which is a significant economic force. As a result, business travellers frequently travel between the two nations. Popular airlines with flights between the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and Mumbai include the following.
- Kenya Airways
- Air India
- Qatar Airways
- Emirates
- Ethiopian Airlines
- RwandAir
- FlyDubai
- SpiceJet
- Air Arabia
However, with the entry of IndiGo with extremely affordable flight tickets for this route; the matric changes fast as the Indian airline stamps its dominance.
How Long is A Flight From Nairobi to Mumbai?
A flight from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai takes six and a half hours. IndiGo is popular for its effective operations and competitive prices. It has expanded to become one of India’s top carriers since its founding in 2006, operating on both domestic and international routes.
The Indian carrier is gradually expanding its services to African countries more so with IndiGo Nairobi flights. By utilizing the growing travel market in Africa and forming smart alliances with regional airlines, IndiGo has a promising future as far as African destinations go. This gives Indian travellers more flight choices. It suffices to say that IndiGo Nairobi flights is opening up Kenya’s tourism sector in a bigger way.
