Nairobi, 12th August 2026
Every Journey Matters: Skyward Marks 13 Years in the Skies with the Launch of Its 13th Route to Garissa
Thirteen years ago, Skyward Airlines took to the skies with a simple but bold promise: to connect every corner of Kenya, one flight at a time. This month, that promise came full circle in the most fitting way possible —On the 13th year anniversary we opened our 13th route, Nairobi–Garissa, stitching Northern Kenya firmly into the national conversation on trade, tourism and opportunity.
It was a full-circle moment marked not with pomp for its own sake, but with purpose — a gathering of the people who have shaped Kenyan aviation and the people of Garissa who stand to benefit most from what this route represents.
A Homegrown Story, Thirteen Years in the Making
From a single aircraft and a handful of routes to a network now spanning the country and the region, Skyward’s journey has always been about more than schedules and seat maps. It has been about showing up for communities that other carriers overlooked, and proving that a Kenyan-owned airline could build something that lasts.
Speaking at the celebrations, Skyward Airlines Chairman, Captain Mohamed Abdi, reflected on the airline’s beginnings and the vision that has carried it this far.
“When we started this airline thirteen years ago, the dream was simple — to connect every part of this country, no matter how far-flung, and to make sure no Kenyan was ever too far from opportunity. Watching what Kenyans have built out of that dream fills me with immense pride. Skyward is not just an airline; it is a homegrown, home-owned brand that today connects our people to opportunities for business, for family, for healthcare, for education, and for so much more. Thirteen years on, our promise remains the same as it was on day one — to deliver reliable, safe air travel that Kenyans can always count on.”
Opening a New Chapter for Northern Kenya
The addition of Garissa as Skyward’s 13th destination is more than a new dot on the route map. For a region long underserved by air connectivity, it is a statement of intent — that Northern Kenya’s businesses, families and investors deserve the same access to the rest of the country as everyone else.
Skyward CEO Diana Nyambura captured this in her remarks at the launch:
“The launch of our Nairobi-Garissa service is more than the addition of a new destination; it marks our commitment to connecting more closely with Northern Kenya. Air travel is not a luxury; it is essential to development, enabling people, businesses and communities to access opportunities, markets and investment. We are proud to partner with the people of Garissa as we open this important new chapter.”
Flights on the new route operate four times a week — Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday — out of Wilson Airport, putting Garissa within an hour’s reach of Nairobi and, by extension, the rest of Skyward’s growing network.
A Gathering of Industry and Partners
The milestone drew together a strong cross-section of Kenya’s aviation, tourism and county leadership, a reflection of just how many hands it takes to keep an industry — and a country — connected:
- Nathif Jama Adam, Governor of Garissa County, as Chief Guest
- Moses Wekesa, Managing Director & CEO, Kenya Airports Authority (KAA)
- Brown Ondego, Chairman, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA)
- Joseph Kithitu, Chairman, Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA)
- Maureen Kahonge, Head of Business Development, African Airlines Association (AFRAA)
- Liz Aluvanze, CEO, Kenya Association of Air Operators (KAAO)
- Norbert K. Talam, Director General, Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA)
- Susan M. Ongalo, CEO, Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF)
Their presence was a vote of confidence, not just in Skyward, but in what consistent, safe and reliable regional connectivity can do for a country as diverse as Kenya.
Thirteen Years, Thirteen Routes, One Mission
Every route Skyward has opened — from the coast to the lakeside towns, and now to Northern Kenya — tells the same story: that when Kenyans are connected, opportunity follows. Thirteen years in, that mission hasn’t changed. It has only grown wings.
Here’s to the next chapter — for Garissa, for Skyward, and for every Kenyan whose journey starts with us.
