Flights from Africa to across the globe are expanding more than ever thanks to more competition in the airline industry, with the latest milestone being the first direct flight from East Africa to the United States completed on Monday.

Passengers on Kenya Airways’ Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner took the historic 15-hour flight from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to New York.

The new flights will run daily from Kenya to John F. Kennedy International Airport, and the national carrier hopes they will help drive a rebound in profit.

“This is an exciting moment for us,” Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Sebastian Mikosz said in a statement. “It fits within our strategy to attract corporate and high-end tourism traffic from the world to Kenya and Africa.”

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