NAIROBI, Kenya, June 23 – Air France-KLM Group has opened an office in Nairobi that will also serve as Africa’s headquarters.

The new office will serve East, South, and West Africa, which has over 1 billion people.

Its East, South, and West Africa Managing Director Marius Van Der said Nairobi’s choice was deliberate since Kenya is considered East Africa as well as Africa’s business gateway.

“The decision of opening our new offices here follows a restructuring exercise that we finished in 2021,” said Van Der.

“It reveals that the east African market that is traditionally managed in Nairobi has many similarities in terms of its competitive landscape,” he added.

Air France-KLM Vice President (VP) Long-haul Zoran Jelkic paused for a moment to indicate that the company has a strong presence in Africa.

“We really believe in the potential of the growth of Africa. We will be committed to serving our beloved customers of the African continent,” said the VP.

Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen, who officiated the event, lauded the company for choosing Kenya as its headquarters on the African continent, assuring them full government support.

“The air transport sector contributes 1.6 billion dollars to Kenya’s GDP and another 1.6 billion from tourists arriving in the country translates to 5% of the country’s GDP,” Murkomen said.

“Air France-KLM is a vital part of Kenya’s aviation sector as it provides critical connections that facilitate transportation of goods and people mostly from Europe and North America to Kenya,” the CS stated.

The opening of the airline’s regional office in the country, the CS said, exuding the country’s confidence among investors.