The world’s largest express transportation company, FedEx Express as well as a subsidiary of FedEx Corp, will start regular weekly flight into Nairobi, Kenya.

The development comes as the company continues to enhance its service to and from Africa, with the expansion of the flight currently serving South Africa through Johannesburg, as well as supporting the growth of East and Central Africa businesses.

The weekly scheduled flight travels from Memphis (US) to Dubai, onto Johannesburg (South Africa) and Nairobi, before connecting to the FedEx Express Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and Africa air hub in Dubai (UAE), onto Milan (Italy), and then Memphis.

Commenting on the development, Jack Muhs, regional president of the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and Africa (MEISA) region for FedEx Express said that “We see enormous potential in the African continent, and we are delighted to help unlock growth opportunities for East and Central Africa businesses, boosting opportunities for trade and business expansion.”

Kenya is the world’s leading exporter of black tea and cut flowers, with perishable and agricultural exports accounting for more than US$ 1.8 billion in trade in 2021.

Kenya’s economy relies on access to a fast and well-established network that quickly delivers sensitive products and goods from Kenya’s producers to customers around the world.

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The addition of Kenya to the FedEx flight provides greater connectivity from businesses across Eastern Africa to and from the key trade lanes across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the US.

This connectivity offers significant advantages for companies across Africa, especially small and medium-sized businesses, with access to major global markets via the FedEx Express hub in Dubai.

“This expansion of our regularly scheduled FedEx Express all-cargo flight underscores our confidence in the African economies. Africa is an important market for us, with its young population and rapid adoption of new technologies, the continent is well-positioned to make a significant impact on global trade.

"As of January 2022, there are 23.35 million internet users in Kenya, and 81.6 percent of these users aged 16 to 64 visit social networks to look for information about brands and products. This means that e-commerce has the potential to create employment opportunities in Kenya and will become a major part of business growth throughout Africa.”

Jack Muhs added that selecting Nairobi for the flight demonstrates the potential and importance of East Africa to FedEx Express, and the opportunity for businesses across Eastern Africa to use Kenya as a gateway to the global FedEx network.

“Through this flight, FedEx will connect our customers to new growth opportunities, offer enhanced solutions to meet evolving customer demands, and provide opportunities for African businesses to reach their customers around the world.”

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