- Airline builds on successful restoration of 15.5 acres of Kakamega Forest, expanding its conservation footprint to 25.5 acres
Fly748 on Friday, October 23 formalised a forest conservation partnership with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to restore 10 acres of degraded land within Ngong Forest.
The Ngong Forest initiative, valued at KSh3.1 million covering a period of three years, will be implemented in partnership with the Ngong Hills Metro Community Forest Association and builds on the airline’s successful restoration of 15.5 acres of Kakamega Forest between 2022 and 2024.
With the additional 10 acres earmarked for restoration in Ngong Forest, Fly748’s forest conservation footprint will extend to 25.5 acres.
Fly748 Head of Scheduled Services, George Oduor, said the partnership reflects the airline’s commitment to turning environmental sustainability into practical action.
“Our responsibility as Fly748 goes beyond connecting people and destinations. Building on the restoration of 15.5 acres of Kakamega Forest, we are extending our conservation efforts to Ngong Forest, with a focus on nurturing indigenous trees and supporting long-term forest regeneration,” Oduor said during the initiative’s cheque presentation in Nairobi.
He added: “We recognise that aviation has an environmental footprint, and we are committed to complementing our emissions-management efforts with practical action on forest restoration, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. We believe that lasting environmental change requires sustained commitment and collaboration between businesses, public institutions and local communities.”
748 Air Services Managing Director, Moses Mwangi, said the company’s experience in Kakamega had reinforced the importance of long-term stewardship in forest conservation.
“Our experience in Kakamega Forest has reinforced our belief that meaningful conservation requires consistency, patience and long-term stewardship. Having witnessed the value of our restoration efforts in Kakamega, we are pleased to extend this commitment to Ngong Forest through our partnership with the Kenya Forest Service and the Ngong Hills Metro Community Forest Association,” said Mwangi.
The Ngong Forest restoration initiative will involve rehabilitating degraded land and planting indigenous tree species in collaboration with KFS and the community forest association. The approach recognises that successful restoration requires nurturing, protecting and sustaining the the trees over time.
While lauding Fly748 efforts, Ngong Hills Metro Community Forest Association Chairman Samson Ole Kereya called for more environment preservation activities.
“We need more environmental conservation initiatives and should encourage communities to engage in environmentally friendly, economically viable activities within our forests, such as beekeeping, mushroom farming and chameleon conservation, without disrupting the ecosystem, ” said Ole Kereya.
James Roine Sululu-Chairman Ngong Hills Forest Ecotourism said, “We commend FLY 748 for this restoration initiative and reaffirm our commitment to protecting and nurturing all the trees to ensure their survival and long-term contribution to forest conservation.”
Fly748 measures carbon emissions, including fuel consumption and associated emissions, as part of its environmental management efforts. Its forest restoration initiatives complement this work and form part of its broader commitment to voluntary climate action and biodiversity conservation.
The partnership will be followed by a tree-planting exercise scheduled for November 6th 2026, at Ngong Forest in an event that will bring together stakeholders from the aviation industry, conservation partners, community representatives and other invited participants to support the restoration programme.
Fly748 also intends to involve pupils from a local primary school in the exercise to promote environmental awareness and encourage young people to take an active role in conservation.
“The initiative underscores the importance of collaboration between public institutions, private-sector organisations and local communities in protecting Kenya’s forest ecosystems,” said Oduor.
