New Nairobi to London flight
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Posted by Karen Lotter Jun 8, 2007 |
Richard Branson is a really smart guy and he seems to do business in a way that not only makes him even richer, but that benefits others. With the introduction of Virgin Atlantic flights on the London/Nairobi route Sir Richard is tapping into a very lucrative tourism market, offering export opportunities to local farmers and launching a Save the elephants campaign.
Virgin Atlantic arrives in Nairobi, Kenya
Sir Richard Branson arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi just after sunrise on June 2 aboard the maiden Virgin Atlantic flight to Kenya and in true Branson style he flamboyantly posed on one of the plane's wings for photographers before addressing the media.
"This is the first of the airline’s daily flights to the region, which will bring in a quarter more visitors to the region in the first year of operation, with an estimated economic benefit of $100m over the coming 12 months to the economy.’’ He stated.
The Airbus A340-300 of Virgin Atlantic will be flying to and from Kenya on a daily basis with an estimated benefit of 100 million US dollars to the Kenyan economy over the next twelve months. Apart from carrying passengers, the aircraft will also be used to export 15 tons worth of produce daily.
Well after all, during the first quarter of 2007, Kenya's tourism revenue totaled 250 million US dollars, an increase of 18 percent over the same period in 2006, so it would make sense for Virgin to expand further into the African Tourism Market, by introducing this daily flight.
"I am really pleased that Virgin Atlantic is now serving Nairobi, the airline’s fourth African destination which is not only an important city in its own right, but also the gateway for the whole of East Africa and the Indian Ocean," Branson said.
The flights will link up in London with Virgin Atlantic’s extensive services to 10 key US gateways, particularly New York and Washington. Flights from Nairobi will depart at 08:15 from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and will arrive at 14:50 into London Heathrow Airport. Return flights will depart from Heathrow at 19:15 and will arrive in Nairobi the following day at 06:05.
But Branson does everything in style and besides all this boost to the economy and tourism expansion, he is also going to save the elephants and help struggling rural communities in the process.
Virgin Mount Kenya Elephant Corridor
Branson’s partnership with Safaricom, Kenya’s leading mobile phone operator will create a vital new elephant corridor, north of Mount Kenya, which will provide a lifeline to local communities and the dwindling elephant population in the region.
Around 2,000 elephants, part of the Laikipia-Samburu elephant population, will benefit from the Virgin Mount Kenya Elephant Corridor, which will cost up to $1million dollars to build and maintain over the next ten years. Sir Richard is donating $250,000 to the project. It will be created between the Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve and the Mount Kenya National Reserve, enabling elephants to benefit from the diverse resources offered by each habitat.
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