Jambojet starts nonstop Eldoret flights amid parliamentary probe on delays

Politics and policy

Jambojet had been accused of delaying Nairobi-Eldoret route passengers. PHOTO | FILE 

By GERALD ANDAE

In Summary

• Jambojet has started flying nonstop on the Nairobi-Eldoret route despite earlier announcing it was facing a challenge of passenger numbers on the route.

Kenya Airways’ budget carrier, Jambojet, has started nonstop flights to Eldoret amid a Parliamentary probe that it was delaying passengers on the Nairobi-North-Rift route by passing through Kisumu.

The budget carrier from this weekend started flying nonstop on the Nairobi-Eldoret route despite earlier announcing it was facing a challenge of passenger numbers on the route.

“We are introducing nonstop flights between Nairobi and Kisumu and Nairobi and Eldoret,” said Jambojet.

This come as the Parliamentary transport committee probes the carrier for flights delay and the inconvenience of Eldoret passengers first being flown to Kisumu before departing to Nairobi.

Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen claimed that Jambojet has been delaying passengers in Kisumu for up to two hours before flying to Eldoret.

“There is serious inconvenience by Jambojet. Sometimes they take us to Kisumu from Eldoret and then to Nairobi. At times they fly us to Kisumu then to Eldoret, delaying us,” Mr Kangogo told the Maina Kamanda-led committee early this month.

READ: House probes flight delays claim against Jambojet

The MP said a majority of travellers on the North Rift region had complained of travel delays.

“Data from the airline shows that only one of two carriers can serve the route with double daily flights.

“From July 2014, Jambojet has been offering morning and evening flights for the Eldoret route. Commercialisation and capacity within the market is the issue,” suspended Transport and Infrastructure principal secretary Nduva Muli told the committee.

“We will look at issues of scheduling. Market dynamics are causing these delays.”

He added that Jambojet was struggling with low passenger numbers on the route.

Jambojet started operations in April last year, targeting bus passengers, and also flies to Malindi, Ukunda, Lamu and Mombasa. The carrier’s lowest one-way fare is Sh2,950, more than half the quoted Kenya Airways fare when the trip is booked in advance.

Passengers pay for extras like food, baggage and seat choices. KQ hopes this business model will help tap passenger numbers and also ward off competition from budget carriers like Fly 540.