Brussels Airline has resumed direct flights from Brussels, Belgium, to Nairobi Kenya, after a nine years break.

The inaugural flight (SN 481) from Brussels landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Monday, June 3 night, heralding a new era of connectivity between Europe and East Africa.

The flight received a warm welcome at JKIA with a Kenyan delegation that included Principal Secretaries Mohamed Daghar (Transport), Julius Bitok (Immigration), Ambassador of Belgium to Kenya Peter Maddens and Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) Board chairperson Caleb Kositany.

“The return of @FlyingBrussels is a testament to Nairobi’s growing significance as a regional hub. We are not only celebrating this flight but also looking ahead to future growth,” Kositany said.

Kositany also shared the government’s ambitious plan of expanding JKIA. The planned upgrades, he says, is aimed at enhancing the airport’s capacity to handle more passengers and flights, positioning Nairobi as a premier aviation hub in Africa.

Kenyan Tourism Board (KTB) CEO June Chepkemei said that the new route will generate extra tourism business and boost Kenya’s economy.

“Connectivity is our key enabler in tourism arrivals into Kenya and we believe that Brussels Airlines will be a major boost towards this front,” Chepkemei said.

The Belgium national carrier says that since the flights went on sale, 50,000 people already booked their ticket to visit Nairobi or to fly from Nairobi to Brussels, “making this route already a success before the first flight took off.”

Brussels Airlines had operated the service to Nairobi since its founding in 2002 but suspended it in 2015.