Scenic flights launch redefines Nakuru's leisure experience
Air Craft used for the scenic flight to Nakuru.
For years, travelling between Nairobi and Nakuru has largely meant enduring a three-hour road journey. However, a new aviation venture is offering travellers a different perspective of the journey, taking them above the busy highways and into the skies over the Great Rift Valley.
Apinai Air, founded by aviation entrepreneur Geoffrey Muna Rubia, recently conducted its first scenic flight to Nakuru, marking a new chapter in efforts to position the town as an emerging destination for air travel and tourism.
The maiden flight, which carried 10 passengers from Wilson Airport in Nairobi, took approximately 35 minutes aboard a Cessna Caravan aircraft. Along the way, passengers enjoyed aerial views of Nairobi, the Talanta Stadium, the Great Rift Valley Escarpment, Lake Naivasha, Lake Elementaita, Barnabas and Lake Nakuru.
Unlike scheduled commercial flights, scenic flights are designed around the experience, allowing passengers to appreciate landscapes and landmarks from above rather than simply travelling between destinations.
For Rubia, the flight was the realisation of a vision he had nurtured for three years. Initially, he had hoped to organise an air show in Nakuru but the lack of a suitable airport presented a challenge. After several unsuccessful attempts to introduce scenic flights, he eventually decided to take the initiative, using his own resources to secure an aircraft and attract passengers.
His experience also opened up opportunities for tourism. After dropping off the Nairobi passengers in Nakuru, the aircraft carried another group of 10 international tourists to the Maasai Mara, cutting what would ordinarily be a five-to-six-hour road journey from Nakuru to approximately 30 minutes by air.
Apinai Air, founder Geoffrey Muna Rubia,
Rubia says the enthusiastic response from the tourists reinforced his belief that air connectivity could improve access to some of Kenya's tourism destinations.
Apinai Air already has bookings for additional scenic flights, particularly during the festive season. The packages include transport to Nairobi, an aerial experience to Nakuru and breakfast at Mbweha Camp, where the company has established a working arrangement.
However, the entrepreneur's ambitions extend beyond leisure flights. He is targeting January 2027 for the introduction of scheduled commercial flights, with plans to bring in larger aircraft accommodating between 30 and 50 passengers.
For travellers seeking a different way to experience Nakuru, the venture offers an opportunity to rediscover familiar landscapes from an entirely new perspective.
Rubia says the biggest lesson from the maiden flight was the importance of acting on a vision despite scepticism, allowing results rather than promises to convince people.