Kenya Airways' low-cost subsidiary Jambojet launches cargo operations
For several years now, and despite the crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for freight has been growing constantly throughout the world, and particularly in Africa. Jambojet wants to take advantage of this dynamic throughout its network.
Jambojet is now in the business of transporting dedicated cargo. The low-cost subsidiary of Kenya Airways officially ventured into this market on Wednesday 9 January 2022, with a flight to Goma in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On the domestic front, its services will cover all its seven destinations, namely Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi, Ukunda, Lamu" Jambojet has a fleet of 6 De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q-400 aircraft, and operates an average of 280 flights per week across its network. Each flight has a cargo capacity of 1.2 tonnes, which is mostly unused," says Jambojet's CEO. "With the introduction of cargo operations, we can seamlessly connect seafood-rich coastal destinations to Nairobi," adds Karanja Ndegwa.
"What Jambojet has achieved with the commencement of its cargo operations to Goma in the DRC is such a shrewd example of a company sensing market dynamics and adjusting its strategy to adapt to new demands," says Hon. Betty Maina, the secretary of Kenya's Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development.
In order to move goods from local destinations to international markets (which Jambojet does not serve), Jambojet has signed agreements with Kenya Airways, its parent company, and Astral Aviation, the Kenyan private cargo carrier. Currently, the 'Jambojet Cargo' product portfolio includes JM General Cargo, JM Express, JM Pharma, JM Live, JM Fresh and JM Repatriation.
As a reminder, Jambojet started its operations in April 2014. Since then, the low-cost carrier has carried over 4.7 million passengers on its network. It has been IOSA certified since June 2019.
