Kenya Airways has announced an increase in flights to Kisumu over the weekend to accommodate the surge in travel demand ahead of the funeral of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
In a statement on Friday, October 17, the airline said it has deployed additional flights and upgraded some aircraft to support Kenyans traveling to the lakeside city for the occasion.
“We have increased our flight frequency to Kisumu over the weekend to accommodate the high travel demand. We remain committed to ensuring seamless travel for all our guests,” KQ announced.
According to the updated schedule, two additional flights have been introduced for Friday, October 17, namely KQ656 at 1330 hours and KQ658 at 1900 hours.
On Saturday, October 18, an extra early-morning flight KQ650 at 0650 hours has been added, while KQ654 at 0805 hours has been upgraded to a larger Boeing 737 aircraft to cater to more passengers.
The adjustments continue into Sunday, October 19, when KQ654 (0805 hours) and KQ671 (1900 hours) will both operate using Boeing 737 aircraft, enhancing capacity for those returning to or from Kisumu.
On Monday, the carrier confirmed that KQ654 and KQ670 flights will also be upgraded to Boeing 737, ensuring continued efficiency for travelers.
Ahead of Raila’s funeral, airfares on the Nairobi–Kisumu route have soared.
As mourners and political delegations prepare to go to Nyanza for the last funeral ceremonies, the majority of flights have been reserved through the weekend.
Major carriers increased costs to between KSh 16,000 and KSh 23,000 for one-way tickets, which is over twice as costly as the route’s average price of KSh 8,000 to KSh 10,000.
An economy ticket to Kisumu costs KSh 16,565, according to a quick check on the Kenya Airways website.
However, Jambojet, a Kenya Airways affiliate, fixed the airfare for Thursday, October 16, and Friday, October 17, at KSh 19,500.
