BA Boosts East African Operations

With East African economies set for increased growth in 2014, British Airways is adding more flights and growing capacity to the region.

In Uganda it will increase services between Heathrow’s Terminal 5 and Entebbe International Airport from three to four a week from 31 March 2014.

 It is also maintaining its night time departures to improve connections at Terminal 5 to other international destinations including North America, where there is a choice of British Airways or American Airlines flights nearly every hour. At the same time, it will replace the Boeing 777s on the daily service between London and Nairobi with the larger Boeing 747-400s. This will add over 780 seats a week on the route. Edward Frost, the airline’s newly appointed commercial manager for East and Southern Africa, says the move is a response to continued robust economic growth in the region.

According to the United Nations’ world economic situation and prospects 2014 report, East African growth was 6 percent in 2013 and is expected to increase to 6.4 percent this year. “We adjust schedules and capacity to reflect demand and this is another example of just that. The new schedule and capacity increases provide customers with more choice and better connections,” says Frost.

The airline is backing the capacity and schedule increases with a series of special offers, with some fares discounted by as much as 42 percent and a choice of destinations in the UK, Europe and North America. World Traveller fares from Entebbe to London start from US$299, while seats from Nairobi to New York through Terminal 5 are priced from US$699, the offer selling period will start on 17th to 24th March 2014. Full details of the offers can be sourced from ba.com or travel agents.

Elsewhere in Africa British Airways is increasing capacity to Ghana, deploying a larger four-cabin Boeing 747-400 aircraft to replace one of the Boeing 777s operating its 10 weekly services to Accra. In early March it increased capacity to South Africa when it introduced six A380 services as part of its double-daily service to Johannesburg. In May, it will grow its winter schedule to Cape Town from daily to 10 a week.