Jambojet kicks off operations to Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 13 – Jambojet, a Kenya airline, on Monday commenced operations to North Kivu Province Capital, Goma in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, becoming the first low-cost carrier to fly the route, and also the only direct flight between Nairobi and the Eastern DRC city.

The airline will be flying two times weekly, on Monday and Friday, from its hub at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi to Goma International Airport. This is set to increase to 4 times weekly as demand grows.

During the inaugural flight ceremony at Goma International Airport, Jambojet Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Karanja Ndegwa said flying to Goma is one step towards growing Jambojet’s footprint in Africa.

“We are excited about the growth prospects in the region. We have an ambitious plan to grow our network, and we are proud to be the first low-cost airline to venture into this route,” said Karanja.

Jambojet currently flies to 6 destinations including Mombasa, Diani, Eldoret, Kisumu, and Malindi from its primary hub in Nairobi. 

The airline also operates a direct flight from Mombasa to Kisumu and Eldoret and has plans to start operations to the Coastal Island of Lamu on September 15.

Jambojet Board of Directors Chairman Vincent Rague noted that there is an opportunity for growth in the African market, saying Jambojet will be at the center of this growth.

“Our ethos has always been offering affordable, convenient, and reliable service to customers, and that, in turn, contributes to economic growth, job creation and boosts social inclusion,” said Rague.

In a bid to diversify its product offering and complement its scheduled operations, Jambojet launched Charter services in October 2020 which allows one to charter a Jambojet aircraft to various destinations.

Since its inception in 2014, Jambojet, which is IOSA certified (IATA Operational Safety Audit registration), has achieved undeniable business growth with a fleet of 6 brand new De Havilland Dash 8-400 and has flown over 4 million passengers across all its destinations.

Back in April, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Congolese host Felix Tshisekedi witnessed the signing of a partnership agreement between Kenya Airways and Congo Airways.

The agreement signed in Kinshasa, on the last day of President Kenyatta’s three-day State visit of DR Congo, will see the two national carriers partner in areas of mutual interest including aircraft maintenance, training, and sharing of excess capacity.

Also included in the two-year agreement, whose overarching objective is viability and sustainability of the airlines, is a route and code sharing provision aimed at expanding the carriers’ domestic, African and international networks.

The partnership agreement was signed by Kenya Airways Group CEO Allan Kilavuka and his Congo Airways counterpart Desire Balazire Bantu.

Present during the signing ceremony were Foreign Affairs CS Raychelle Omamo, her Devolution counterpart Eugene Wamalwa and Kenya’s Ambassador to DR Congo Dr. George Masafu.