Jambojet has ventured into cargo operations with the Dash 8-400 passenger aircraft to its eight destinations within Kenya and DRC . These are Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Mombasa, Malindi, Ukunda, Lamu and Goma in Eastern DRC. The move comes at the back of increased demand and growth in cargo capacity in Africa.
Jambojet began flights from Nairobi to Goma in Democratic Republic of the Congo in September 2021, becoming the first low-cost carrier to fly the route. It is also the only direct flight between Nairobi and the Eastern DRC city. The airline started with 2 frequencies weekly, which have since grown to 3. This came after the signing of a four-part bilateral agreement between the Government of Kenya and that of the DRC covering investment, and policy development in several economic sectors including tourism and infrastructure.
Jambojet has also signed agreements with other airlines such as Kenya Airways and Astral Aviation to allow for seamless connection of cargo from local destinations to international markets. The Jambojet Cargo product portfolio includes general cargo, Express, pharmaceuticals, live animals, fresh produce and repatriation for last respect.
In a bid to diversify its product offering and complement its scheduled operations, Jambojet launched Charter services in October 2020 which allows travellers to charter a Jambojet aircraft to various destinations. Since its inception in 2014, Jambojet has grown and has notable business growth with a fleet of 6 brand new De Havilland Dash 8-400 and flown over 4.7 million passengers across all its destinations.
Speaking while making the announcement, Jambojet MD and CEO Karanja Ndegwa said, “Jambojet has a fleet of 6 De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q-400, and operates an average of 280 flights weekly across the network. Each flight has cargo hold capacity of 1.2tonne, most of which flies empty. With the introduction of cargo operations, we can seamlessly connect the Coastal destinations rich in fish and sea food to Nairobi.”