National airline Kenya Airways (KQ) on Thursday launched a non-stop flight from Nairobi to New York, making history by becoming the first airline a non-stop flight between East Africa and the United States of America

KQ has in a press release said that it has started ticket sales for its non-stop Daily Flight to New York.

“Kenya Airways will offer its customers a unique travel experience between two great gateways. It will be the fastest connection from East Africa to New York, with 15 hours duration eastbound and 14 hours westbound. The ultra-long-haul flight, unique to Kenya Airways network, will require 4 Pilots and 12 Flight attendants as well as 85 tons of fuel each way, making it an exceptional operation,” KQ announced said.

The Kenya Airways inaugural direct flight to the US is scheduled for October 28th this year.

“The flight will depart every day from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport hub in Nairobi at 23:25 arriving at JFK airport in New York at 06:25 the following day. From New-York it will depart at 12:25 landing at JKIA at 10:55 the following day. Its duration will be 15 hours east bound and 14 hours west bound.”

The national carrier was in November 2017 granted a special license by the American government to begin direct flights to the US for both cargo and passenger flights.

Prior to getting the approval by the USA Department of transport, The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had upgraded JKIA to the much-coveted Category 1 status in 2017.