Etihad Airways Wednesday announced the start of flights to Nairobi, its first destination in East Africa. A daily service from Abu Dhabi to Nairobi will begin on April 1 next year, operated by a two class A320 aircraft with 16 Pearl Business class and 120 Coral Economy seats. Nairobi becomes the 72nd destination in Etihad\'s global network and the return flights will create a new link between the two capital cities of Kenya and the United Arab Emirates. \"This new route will allow Etihad to tap into large traffic flows between East Africa, North Asia, and the Indian Subcontinent,\" the airline\'s chief executive officer James Hogan said. Article continues below \"Nairobi is an ideal addition to Etihad\'s global footprint. \"There are 38,000 Kenyan nationals residing in the UAE and there are large and established point-to-point traffic flows between the two countries.\" In 2010 more than two million tourists visited Kenya, including some 295,000 from the Middle East. This new route will also service the considerable and growing flow of people and capital between Kenya and North Asia, with major Chinese investment in Africa generating passenger demand in both directions. Good relationship The managing director of the Kenya Airports Authority, Stephen Gichuki, said: \"Kenya Airports Authority has enjoyed a good relationship with Etihad Airways throughout its three years of operations to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and I would like to congratulate the airline on the positive growth of its operations to Nairobi. We are confident Etihad will continue to prosper serving this route.\"