Yesterday, something historic for Kenya Airways happened. Their maiden direct flight to the United States took off for a long 15 hour journey. This was a trip that was hyped beforehand by the national carrier on mainstream media as well as on social media and it was bound to be a spectacle.
Thanks to our current technology, we could literally track the flight as it took off and landed at JFK airport in New York City. We have websites that allow you to track this flight or any other flight, but the most popular one is Flightradar24.
Flightradar24 actually tweeted about the maiden Kenya Airways non stop flight to New York yesterday as it started and it was sufficiently shared on the platform. They even gave people a direct link to the actual flight, where you could see an animated version of the plane crossing countries and the ocean on its way to the destination.
🇰🇪✈️🇺🇸 Follow the inaugural @KenyaAirways Nairobi-New York non-stop flight at https://t.co/4A5of7JYaW #KQNBONYC pic.twitter.com/jfhMiXjkDg
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) October 28, 2018
If you’ve never used Flightradar24 before, you can track flights by typing the aircraft’s code (in this case the KQ flight was KQ002) and you’ll see it being highlighted. Some other features are available on the Pro version, but the basic package was enough to track the whole flight and Kenyans were visibly interested.
Liftoff!
At 2329hrs #KQ2 lifted off from Nairobi enroute to New York! #KQNBONYC pic.twitter.com/roCvTCvKBq
— The Kenyan Aviator (@kenyanaviator) October 28, 2018
Africa is huge
https://twitter.com/Thee_Manifesto/status/1056751670959501312
#KQNBONYC Hello Niger 🙂🙂🙂@KenyaAirways we're following you closely! Safe journey. pic.twitter.com/rE2lFIERSq
— Enock Bett (@ThisIsBett) October 29, 2018
When it left the African airspace and onto the Atlantic Ocean.
Meanwhile, @KenyaAirways inaugural flight to US KQA002 has just left the African airspace according to @flightradar24 tracking. #KQNBONYC pic.twitter.com/HaVCNywLoP
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) October 29, 2018
If you have a premium subscription, you could do such tricks.
Those with a premium subscription of flightradar24 will be able to view the 3D approach via the app, as the details in the US maps are up to date. It means you will be able to see the kind of descent, landscape and buildings that the crew of #KQ2 see as they land at JFK #KQNBONYC pic.twitter.com/7OKM4PuPNv
— The Kenyan Aviator (@kenyanaviator) October 29, 2018
We even got photos and videos of the landing.
The actual landing of the plane.
LANDED AT JFK! 👏👏👏👏@KenyaAirways #KQNBONYC
(📹Courtesy) pic.twitter.com/Gl2x1z6i5X
— Mac Otani 🇰🇪 (@MacOtani) October 29, 2018
Photo by a passenger.
Touch down JFK, New York. We made it. We made history with @KenyaAirways current time. 7 45 AM.
The City of Dreams, New York #KQNBONYC
Captain’s New York Loving. pic.twitter.com/fxic51qGG0
— Captain. Exuberant Gentleman (@VinieO) October 29, 2018
And by Magical Kenya.
@KenyaAirways Direct non-stop flight has just landed in New York city's @JFKairport at exactly 6:53 AM New York time, cutting the travel distance by over 5 hours #NYC2Nairobi #ComeLivetheMagic #KQNBONYC #KQDirectFlight pic.twitter.com/s9eR1TRNh6
— Kenya Tourism Board (@magicalkenya) October 29, 2018
The last time a Kenya Airways flight was tracked this heavily was a KQ flight to Heathrow that was covered live on BBC back in 2017 due to the fact that a British Minister who had been hit with a scandal was aboard.
