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History was made today at 2:51pm when the maiden Kenya Airways (KQ) Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner direct flight which took off from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The plane which was christened "Magical Kenya" before take off left Nairobi on October 28 at 2259 hours, cruising at 888 km/hour with 234 passengers and 12 crew attendants on board touched down at exactly 2:51pm.
There were four experienced pilots on board with senior pilot Captain Joseph Kinuthia leading the crew.
Among the passengers was the Kenyan Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma. Other passengers on board were US Ambassador Robert Godec and KQ's Chairman Micheal Joseph in company of other notable personalities.
There was a few minutes delay which saw the plane take off at 11.20pm on Sunday, despite the fact it was scheduled to fly out at 10.45pm.
Usually, flights between Nairobi and New York take up to 22 hours, for the 11,849km distance, but Magical Kenya made the journey in 15 hours.
Speaking shortly before the departure, President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was notably absent on the flight said on Twitter that:
"It is historic for Kenya's aviation sector to witness the inaugural direct flight between Nairobi and New York finally take off. The direct air link between our country and the US present great opportunities in trade, tourism and people-to-people relations."
The feat makes Kenya Airways the first ever airline to provide a non-stop flight between East Africa and the US - something which passengers will welcome with delight. The 'whole-day' flight has always been an issue of concern for travelers.
We look forward to more records been made from Africa. Bravo!
