Layovers can throw a wrench into the smoothness of any trip itinerary. Now, travelers between New York and Nairobi — a long enough journey already — won’t have to worry about stressful connections and painfully boring stopovers. Starting on October 28th, Kenya Airways is offering the first-ever daily nonstop route between the two countries via New York’s JFK Airport and Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
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The First-Ever Nonstop Flight Between the United States and Kenya Is Launching Next Week
“This is an exciting moment for us,” the airline’s Managing Director and CEO Sebastian Mikosz said in a press release. “It fits within our strategy to attract corporate and high-end tourism traffic from the world to Kenya and Africa. We are honored to contribute to the economic growth of Kenya and East Africa.”
The route’s launch is certainly expected to make the country a more attractive tourist destination. It seems to be working, with thousands of travelers hungry for an East African safari adventure already booking their tickets. It will also make it much easier for Kenyans to visit New York City — one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.
The flight time from NYC to Nairobi will be 15 hours with the return flight taking 14 hours. Currently, most flights take anywhere from 20 to 30 hours, including stops in places like Istanbul, London, or Geneva.
The Kenya Airways flight isn’t the only new flight connecting Africa to travel hubs across the world. Last year, RwandAir launched weekly nonstop flights from London’s Gatwick Airport to Kigali, Rwanda, and intends to offer a nonstop route to NYC in the near future. 
H/T: Lonely Planet