Finally, we have a date. The news that Turkish Airlines would resume flights had been in the air for some time. Istanbul had received licenses to land in the Kenyan coastal city last spring, after years of suspension and the pandemic. Before that, it was one of the most popular airlines among Italians and many Europeans because it connected not only major airports (as in the case of the other most popular airline, Ethiopian, which flies from Milan and Rome via Addis Ababa) but also smaller ones. With Turkish, after a stopover and a usually short wait (so short that in the past there was a risk of not having your luggage on arrival...), you could fly to Mombasa from Bologna, Bari, Catania, Naples, and Turin, for example.
The flight time from Istanbul Airport to Moi International Airport, Kenya, is 7 hours and 15 minutes. The distance is 3,221 miles.
And finally, the date of Turkish's return to the Istanbul-Mombasa route has been announced: October 26. The announcement was made by Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir after a meeting with Turkish Airlines CEO Oguzcan Yerli in the governor's office.
“I am pleased to confirm that these flights will resume on October 26, an important victory for our tourism and logistics sectors,” said Governor Nassir.
At this point, it is hoped that the announcement, given in this official capacity, will not be subject to delays or cancellations. The dates, times, and booking options for flights should appear online on the Turkish Airlines website in the coming days. The return of the Turkish flag carrier will re-establish fair competition with its “rival” Ethiopian Airways and stabilize ticket prices.