Kenya Airways, the national carrier of Kenya, has been granted the permission to operate direct flights between Kenya and the United States of America, reports Nairobi News.

The permit became effective on September 5, according to an order issued by the United States' Department of Transportation (DOT) which had in June recommended that Kenya Airways be granted the permit.

The Department of Transportation now says that it has given KQ a foreign air carrier permit “to engage in Scheduled and charter foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail from any point or points behind Kenya, via any point or points in Kenya and any intermediate points, to any point or points in the United States and beyond”.

Earlier in February 2017, Kenya Airways was granted Category One status following an inspection by officials from America’s Federal Aviation Administration who gave approval for direct flights between Kenya and the USA.

Kenya Airways and the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will now go through the final regulatory hurdles before the airline launches direct service from Nairobi to the United States.

According to Kenya's Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, officials from United States would come to Kenya in October to carry out the final round of inspection of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi.

Kenya Airways and Kenya's Ministry of Transportation are reportedly working together to ensure the remaining requirements are met with readiness to commence direct US flight in the first quarter of 2018.