NAIROBI, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Airways said on Friday that it has started commercial evaluation plans with relevant authorities for the launch of long-awaited direct flights to the United States.
The move follows the decision by America's Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) to clear Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to operate direct flights to and from the United States.
Inspectors from America's FAA gave JKIA a clean bill of health after an audit leading to the award of the long-awaited Category One status.
The move sets the stage for signing of flight agreements between Washington and Nairobi as well as airlines seeking direct flights between the United States and Kenya before commercial operations can start.
"Our first priority now is to pursue codeshare arrangements with our partners in the SkyTeam Alliance. This will enable us to sell tickets to and from any U.S. state and drive revenues directly to us," said Kenya Airways CEO Mbuvi Ngunze.
"This process will take time but we will start immediately," Ngunze added in a statement issued in Nairobi.
Kenya Airways and Delta Airlines are in the same SkyTeam alliance that could see the two airlines enter into a code share agreement allowing the two airlines to sell direct tickets on each other's planes.
"In parallel, Kenya Airways plans to undertake a commercial evaluation and discussions with the relevant authorities to determine the viability and timing of operations. We will update on this as and when we are ready," he added.
Ngunze applauded the efforts by the regulator, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority for its intense drive to bring Category One clearance to fruition.
The Ministry of Transport on Thursday said Kenya wants to boost exports to Washington and increase visits by American tourists.
"The granting of this status means that airline operators, both in Kenya and the United States, which have long desired to operate directly will now be allowed to carry on their operations after certain processes including technical compliance and commercial arrangements are met," the ministry said in a statement.
The East African nation has been implementing a raft of recommendations by the U.S. government to enhance security, among them separation of passenger arrival and departure terminals, clearing the flight path and fencing off the airport.
