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About Kenya Airways
Kenya Airways is the flag carrier of Kenya with its hub at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya.
Kenya Airways flies to 53 destinations worldwide destinations both domestic and international including: Nairobi, Luanda, Cotonou, Gaborone, Ouagadougou, Bujumbura, Douala, Yaounde, Bangui, Guangzhou, Moroni, Abidjan, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Lubumbashi, Djibouti, Cairo, Malabo, Addis Ababa, Paris, Libreville, Accra, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Kisumu, Malindi, Mombasa, Monrovia, Antananarivo, Blantyre, Mahe, Freetown, Johannesburg, Juba, Khartoum and many others.
Established in 1977, Kenya Airways is a member of the Sky Team Alliance and is a leading African airline, carrying over four million passengers annually.
Kenya Airways offers world-class standards in service delivery, product quality and operational performance. Kenya Airways, "The Pride of Africa", aims to be airline of choice, connecting the World to Africa and Africa to the World.
As part of its Star Alliance membership, Kenya Airways has codeshare agreements with Onur Air, KLM, Air France, Korean Air, Aeroflot, China Southern, Kulula, Garuda Indonesia, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, China Eastern, Precision Air, Air Mauritius, Air Mozambique, Jet Airways, TAAG-Angola Airlines, Air Burkina and Air Namibia.
Kenya Airways' fleet consists of Boeing 787-8, Boeing B777-300ER, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-300 and Embraer 190 AR.
Frequent Flyer Program
Passengers with Kenya Airways can be rewarded for regular travel with Kenya Airways through Flying Blue. Passengers can earn miles with Air France, KLM and Kenya Airways through Flying Blue.
You can earn Award Miles when flying with Kenya Airways through 4 tiers of membership: Ivory, Silver, Gold or Platinum. Award Miles can be used both in the air and on the ground through hotels.
Kenya Airways offers new lounges in Nairobi's airport in Terminal 1A second floor. The two lounges have a total capacity of 315 guests. In 2015, Kenya Airways won Africa's leading Airline-Business Class in the World Travel Awards. In 2014, Kenya Airways receives its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and second Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
News
6th June 2018
Kenya Airways launches non-stop flights to South Africa
Kenya Airways has introduced three non-stop flights from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Cape Town, South Africa.
The non-stop flights, to the second-most populous urban city in South Africa, will depart Nairobi every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 3:30pm.
The airline said the launch is in line with its strategy to assert its presence and expand connectivity across Africa and open up opportunities for tourism, trade and investment.
"We are indeed very proud to increase our frequencies to South Africa to cater for the growing number of our customers who travel between Nairobi and Cape Town," Kenya Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Vincent Coste said.
Currently, the airline operates seven weekly flights to Cape Town.
Four flights operating via Livingstone, Zambia depart Nairobi every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
There are also three weekly flights via the resort town of Victoria Falls Falls on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
This brings to a total of 10 weekly flights to Cape Town from Nairobi.
"Kenya and South Africa are important trading partners. A number of South African firms have expanded into Kenya while thousands of Kenyans are frequent travellers to South Africa," Coste said.
6th June 2018
Kenya Airways looks to run the country's main airport
Kenya Airways has in the final stages of winning approval to run the country's main airport in Nairobi. The idea has come from the success of its rivals after the airline has experienced some financial turbulence. If the agreement goes ahead Kenya Airways may run Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for a minimum of 30 years. The majority-owned government airline is looking onwards and upwards with this deal with the airport. As the airport operator, Kenya Airways would have a say on takeoff and landing slots, giving it an advantage over its competitors.
27th May 2018
Kenya Airways limits Intra-Afica baggage allowance to one bag per passenger
Kenya Airways has reduced its baggage allowance on its intra-Africa routes to one bag, making it more expensive to fly with additional baggage. The airline previously allowed users flying in Economy Class from one African country to carry another two bags of a maximum weight of 23 kilogrammes. Flyers will now be allowed to have only one bag, with charges applicable for eany additional luggage. This new requirement will not affect those passengers coming from other continents. Business Class passengers will maintain their allowance of two free bags at 32 kilogrammes maximum weight per bag. Ancillary fees — those added onto the actual cost of a ticket — have become a way for carriers to make additional income while keeping the cost of tickets low. This step is a natural one for the airline to make, following suit with all the world's most popular airlines.
20th April 2018
Kenya Airways fun fact! Why Kenya Airqays goes by the nickname KQ and not KA
Its the subject you've wanted an answer to for ages. Why Kenya Airways is abbreviated to KQ instead of KA? The question has been confusing peopple for years and years. Let's go back to the begining. Kenya Airways was once East African Airways all the way back in 1946. Due to tense international relations between East African Nations however, the East African community collapsed and subsequently ended East African Airways in 1977 - when Kenya Airways was born. By that time Korea already had its aviation industry running (Korean Air) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) already had assigned them the code ‘KA’. By virtue of being ‘late’ Kenya was assigned the code KQ and it is the reason the Kenyan airline is referred to as KQ and not KA. Something so simple comes from a lot of history!
22nd March 2018
Kenya Airways plans 20 new destinations in the next 5 years
Kenya Airways officials have announced that the company was planning to add 20 new destinations in Africa, Europe, and Asia to its flight schedule during the next 5 years. This major expansion should help Kenya Airways increase its turnover substantiallyafter its recent run of losses. Kenya Airways is considering partnerships and joint ventures with other airlines like South African Airways.
“We are considering collaborating on aircraft repairs and route joint ventures with the state-owned South African carrier,” executive board’s chairman Michael Joseph indicated, specifying: “We fly to similar destinations in Africa. They (ed: South African Airways) fly to Uganda, we fly to Uganda, among other routes, so there’s a possibility we could probably share those routes.” Furthermore, the company plans to get back two Boeing Dreamliners and three Boeing 777-300 that were respectively leased to Oman Air and Turkish Airlines. One of these aircraft will be used for the Nairobi-New York line launched last October.
11th February 2018
Kenya Airways starts non-stpo flight to Cap Town
Kenya Airways, the national carrier of Kenya, will unveil a direct flight route from the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to Cape Town, South Africe, starting in June 2018. This commences a new wave of expansion for the airline. The route will be in operation three times a week using a Being B737-800NG aircraft. Its four flights via the Zambian city of Livingstone will not be impeded by this change, as well as its flights to Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls.
17th January 2018
Kenya Airways starts non-stop daily flight to New York
Kenya Airways has marked a great milestone with the launch of a non-stop flight from Nairobi to New York. The national carrier starts selling today tickets for the inaugural flight which is scheduled for October 28th this year.
Kenya Airways becomes the first airline to offer a non-stop flight between East Africa and the United States of America.
The airline already serves Africa, Europe, Middle-East, Indian sub-continent and Asia.
The opening of the US destination completes an essential piece for Kenya Airways’ network, cementing its position as one of the leading African carriers.
“This is an exciting moment for us. It fits within our strategy to attract corporate and high-end tourism traffic from the world to Kenya and Africa. We are honoured to contribute to the economic growth of Kenya and East Africa.” said Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO Sebastian Mikosz.
With over 40 American multinationals located in Nairobi and many more across Africa, the launch of daily flights is expected to further spur trade between America and Africa.
Kenya Airways will offer its customers a unique travel experience between two great gateways. It will be the fastest connection from East Africa to New York, with a 15 hours duration eastbound and 14 hours westbound.
The ultra-long-haul flight, unique to Kenya Airways network, will require 4 Pilots and 12 Flight attendants as well as 85 tons of fuel each way, making it an exceptional operation.
The airline will operate its state of the art Boeing 787 Dreamliner with a capacity of 234 passengers.
The flight will depart every day from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport hub in Nairobi at 23:25 arriving at JFK airport in New York at 06:25 the following day.
From New York it will depart at 12:25 landing at JKIA at 10:55 the following day. Its duration will be 15 hours eastbound and 14 hours westbound.
This convenient schedule will allow connections to and from over 40 African destinations through Kenya Airways hub in Nairobi.
10th January 2018
Kenya Airways plans daily flights from JKIA to New York to start in October
It's a great moment for the national carrier, Kenya airways. This new route from Nairobi to New York will cut flight time by more than a whopping 7 hours. Kenya airways have already secured a landing slot at the world-famous JFK International Airport and travellers can book their place on the first flight from tomorrow.
The flight will depart at 22:30 daily and will arrive state-side at 6:30am, allowing plenty of time to get to those all-important morning meetings. The return flights depart JFK at 13:30, landing in Nairobi at a civilised 22:30. This will see passengers arriving at their destination in 15 hours; a marked improvement on the current 22+.
22nd December 2017
Kenya Airways, Air Mauritius extend code share agreement
Air Mauritius, the flag carrier of Mauritius, has extended their codeshare agreement with Kenya Airways to offer their customers more connections at their hubs in Nairobi and Port Louis. The agreement, which takes effect immediately, will allow connectivity to Kenya Airways customers in accessing Port Louis directly from Nairobi, the two airlines said in a joint statement.
The two airlines already have a longstanding code-share agreement under which Kenya Airways places its code on the three weekly flights operated by Air Mauritius on the Mauritius-Nairobi route. Air Mauritius uses Nairobi as a hub from where it offers connections to a number of destinations in eastern and central Africa through KQ network.
Connection platform
Kenya Airways also uses Mauritius as a platform to connect to the Air Mauritius network.
“Kenya Airways is working towards strengthening its network and consolidating Nairobi’s position as a leading hub in east Africa. The networks of both our airlines are complementary and we are confident that this agreement will allow us find the synergies for us to grow our respective networks.” said KQ’s group managing director and chief executive Sebastian Mikosz.
21st November 2017
Kenya Airways eyes JV with Air France in 2Q18
Kenya Airways (KQ, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) is planning to enter into a joint-venture with Air France(AF, Paris CDG) next year the Kenyan carrier's chairman Michael Joseph has announced. The two have an existing commercial partnership wherein Air France codeshares on Kenya Airways' regional African as well as Paris, Amsterdam, and London Heathrow services while Kenya Airways, in return, codeshares on Air France's regional European and North African services.
According to The Daily Nation newspaper, the partnership is an expansion of Kenya Airways’ existing tie-up with Air France's sister carrier, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam), and will see the two revenue sharing on the Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta-Paris CDG route.
“Air France is set to commence local flights in April and we hope we shall have received the regulatory exemptions sought, which will allow us to partner with them instead of competing,” Joseph said.
The chairman added that the proposal has already been lodged with the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK), with the national carrier hopeful of having the deal in place by April 2018. Once operational, Air France-KLM's transatlantic partnership could also be of use given Kenya Airways' plans to start flights to the US in 2018.
“KLM and Air France merged years ago and so it would be in all our interests to have a joint venture. Such a pact will also be advantageous for KQ as we draw closer to direct United States flights,” he said.
2nd November 2017
Kenya Airways suspends Hong Kong, Hanoi services
Kenya Airways ceased flights to Hong Kong, China and Hanoi, Vietnam from Oct. 29, following an evaluation of its Asian network. According to a company statement, the move will allow the SkyTeam alliance member to operate a more efficient schedule to Asia with a daily service on its existing Nairobi-Bangkok-Guangzhou route.
“We will continue to serve our customers to Asia through our direct flights to China and Thailand, and are working closely with our partners to cover the Asian continent,” Kenya Airways commercial director Vincent Coste said.
The network change allows Kenya Airways to allocate more seats across its African network, which has strong demand outlook and insufficient capacity on certain routes. The decision will help the airline strengthen its focus on Africa. Kenya Airways said it constantly assesses its network to position its fleet on routes with strong demand.
12th October 2017
Kenya Airways named Africa's leading airline for second time
Kenya Airways has been named Africa’s leading airline for the second time in a row at the annual World Travel Awards, as well as Africa’s leading airline in its business class offering for the fifth consecutive year. The national carrier beat nominees including Rwanda Air, Egypt Air, Royal Air Maroc and South African Airways:
"Winning these awards would not have been possible without the passion and dedication of the Kenya Airways team and the strong support from our guests," KQ chief executive Sebastian Mikosz said at the ceremony, which was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel and Conference Centre in Kigali, Rwanda on Tuesday evening. "Our guests are at the heart of everything we do and these two awards confirm our undeterred commitment to them."
On September 22, Kenya Airways said it had met over 70 per cent of the more than 100 checklists ahead of its maiden trip to the US next year. Mikosz said they were negotiating a revenue sharing plan with key partner airlines in Europe and USA. The carrier also reported finalising the deal to convert its Sh50.2 billion debt into equity as part of its financial recovery plan. Chairman Michael Joseph hinted the arrangement would see the government increase its stake to 46.5 per cent, up from the current 29.8 per cent, while 11 banks will replace KLM as second largest shareholders at 35.7 per cent.
28th September 2017
Kenya's Jetways Airlines adds maiden Fokker 50 freighter
Jetways Airlines (JWX, Nairobi Wilson) has expanded its Fokker Aircraft fleet with the delivery of its maiden Fokker 50 freighter taking place last week. According to Skyliner Aviation, 5Y-JWG (msn 20191), formerly I-MLCT with Italy's MiniLiner (MNL, Milan Bergamo), was positioned to Kenya from Milan Bergamo via Heraklion and Khartoum.
Jetways also operates two Fokker 50s of which one, 5Y-JWZ (mssn 20208), is wet-leased to Ocean Airlines (Somalia) (Mogadishu). The ch-aviation aircraft database shows the Kenyan carrier is also expecting a maiden Fokker 100, 5Y-SIA (msn 11307), to its fleet. Like with 5Y-JWZ, the aircraft is currently operated by Skyward Express (OW, Nairobi Wilson) for Ocean Airlines (Somalia).
In terms of scheduled passenger services, Jetways offers regular return flights between Nairobi Wilsonand Wajir.
Source: CH-aviation
26th September 2017
Kenya Airways says farewell to Hong Kong and Hanoi
Kenya Airways will be axing its Hong Kong and Hanoi services as part of a series of cost-cutting measures. A time frame for the route withdrawals has not been confirmed, though the airline’s CEO Sebastian Mikosz has confirmed the Skyteam member will be keeping its routes to other destinations nearby to Hong Kong and Hanoi.
“I believe that we can keep a very good product on Guangzhou and Bangkok,” Mikosz told reporters. “We have to fight for the traffic there. It’s been loss-making.”
Kenya Airways’ Hong Kong service already transits through Bangkok, though this is classed as a “technical stop” usually meaning disembarkation is not required. Business Traveller reviewed this flight in March this year.
18th September 2017
Kenya Airways now to fly to US
Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways, can now fly to the United States after it was granted permit to operate direct flights. The permit became effective Se 05, according to the order issued by the US Department of Transportation. The US Department of Transportation had in June recommended that the Kenyan national carrier be allowed to access if there were no public objections. President Donald Trump was also given a 61-day window to disapprove, if he so wished. No objection had been given by the time the window expired, which was when the permit became effective.
KQ’s foreign air carrier permit now allows it to “schedule 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”. Kenya’s main airport, JKIA, was granted Category One status by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow for non-stop direct flights between the two countries last February.
15th September 2017
Nairobi-Cape Town flights start tomorrow
From tomorrow, Kenya Airways will become the first African airline after SAA to offer direct flights to Cape Town. The airline will fly direct from Nairobi to Cape Town every Wednesday and Friday and may increase these flights if there is enough demand. The flights are in addition to the nine flights a week already made by Kenya Airways to Johannesburg. Joyce Aleksic, acting general manager for the airline's southern region, said the move was in response to the growth in demand for flights into and out of Cape Town, following an extensive "market intelligence and business case study by the airline".
"South Africa has become a popular tourism destination for travellers from all over the world. There is enormous traffic flow from Europe into Cape Town, as well as from the Far East, while Americans are now also viewing South Africa as the in place to visit," she said.
"Cape Town, in particular, has emerged as the trendiest destination for travellers to South Africa, which is why we want to address this market. The city has also become a popular destination among Kenyan tourism networks," she added.
According to Aleksic: "We wanted to take the hassle out of transit in Johannesburg, which would have meant having to clear baggage at customs, before walking to the domestic terminal and then catching a further flight to Cape Town, which may be two hours later."
Investment in upgrading of the airline's fleet is ongoing, with its first Boeing 777 on order for May 2004. It is also the first African airline to offer reclining flatbed seats in business class. - Staff writer
11th September 2017
Kenya Airways aiming to commence US service in 2018
Kenya Airways commercial director Vincent Coste said (08-Sep-2017) the airline aims to commence nonstop US service in 2018. The carrier confirmed it received approval to operate to the US from the US Department of Transportation as "part the many approval stages that are expected to be concluded soon".
Remaining steps include a US TSA security audit to designate Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as a last point of departure, which is expected by Nov-2017. Kenya Airways will then seek an air operating certificate from the US FAA, which is expected in early 2018. Kenya's Ministry of Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia stated the airline intends to operate to New York and Atlanta.
6th September 2017
Oman Air, Kenya Airways sign code-share deal in an agreement to cover services between Muscat and Nairobi frm 28th August 2017
Dubai: Oman Air announced it has signed a code-share agreement with Kenya Airways in a deal that will cover services between Muscat and Nairobi effective August 28, 2017. The deal will allow connectivity to Kenya Airways customers in accessing Muscat directly from Nairobi. Oman Air launched flights to Nairobi in March this year. Oman Air said the code-share comes as trade between Kenya and Oman grows, while Kenya Airways said the deal will help increase competitive offerings.
Residents in Oman can now enjoy easy connectivity to Kenya and the rest of Africa, after Oman Air signed a codeshare agreement with Kenya Airways. Under this new agreement, Oman Air flights to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi will receive Kenya Airways flight codes (abbreviated as KQ), as of the 28th of August, 2017. The partnership is part of Oman Air's plans to expand into Africa, having begun flights to Nairobi in March this year. The Sultanate's national carrier currently flies to Kenya four times a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
In light of this long-term deal, Paul Gregorowitsch, CEO of Oman Air, was happy to see Oman Air take this much-awaited step, saying, "Oman Air is very happy with the implementation of this code share agreement with Kenya Airways. Through this partnership, Oman Air extends its exemplary services to guests of Kenya Airways.
"Trade between Kenya and Oman has been growing steadily over the years and this latest agreement with Kenya Airways is a natural progression, following the launch of our new flight from Muscat to Nairobi in March this year," he added.
Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO, Sebastian Mikosz echoed these sentiments.
"This new codeshare agreement represents an important element of our strategy to increase the choice, convenience and connectivity that Kenya Airways offers its customers," he explained. "The code-share partnerships and airline alliances continue to play an important role for Kenya Airways in improving the airlines competitive offering."
Given Oman's cultural and historical ties to east Africa, Oman Air's increased connectivity is sure to help residents across the GCC, as well as tourists looking to travel to Africa. Commenting on the new codshare agreement, Paul Gregorowitsch, CEO of Oman Air said:
"Oman Air is very happy with the implementation of this codeshare agreement with Kenya Airways. Trade between Kenya and Oman has been growing steadily over the years and this latest agreement with Kenya Airways s a natural progression."
Through this partnership, Kenya Airways extends its services to tourists, as well as those who are visiting friends and family, in Oman - through the cultural links that Oman shares with the coastal parts of East Africa.
1st September 2017
Kenya Airways increases Livingstone / Cape Town service in NW17
Kenya Airways in December 2017 and January 2018 plans to increase service to Cape Town and Livingstone, as the airline adds overall 7th and 4th weekly flight, respectively, from 05DEC17 to 09JAN18. The new flight operates on Tuesdays, as Nairobi – Livingstone – Cape Town routing, on board Embraer E190 aircraft.
KQ782 NBO0730 – 0945LVI1035 – 1345CPT E90 x146
KQ783 CPT1435 – 1725LVI1815 – 2220NBO E90 x146
3rd August 2017
Banks reject Kenya Airways' stake offer
Some banks opposed to the restructuring of Kenya Airways Thursday threw a spanner in the works, obtaining a court order to nullify resolutions endorsing the plan. The Standard has learned that the Kenya Airways management Thursday morning met creditors, including the Government and 11 lenders, and resolved to convert the combined Sh50.2 billion debt owed them by the airline into shares. However, the resolutions of the meeting were nullified by a ruling in a petition filed by some of the lenders pending a hearing next week.
01 August 2017
Kenya Airways renews deal for this year's Safari rally
National carrier Kenya Airways in partnership with the East African Safari Classic Rally (EASCR) have launched the eighth edition of the biennial classic rally to be held in November. This year’s event will be flagged off at the Sarova Whitesands, Mombasa on November 23; the seventh edition under Kenya Airways title sponsorship since 2003.
“We are committed to continued investments in supporting various sports disciplines in the country in our resolve to grow and facilitate sports tourism in Kenya and the region at large,” said Kenya Airways ground services director Francis Musila last week. “Being one of the most prestigious and nostalgic rally-sport events in the world, I believe Kenya Airways East African Classic Safari Rally is the best platform to nurture, develop and horn the skills of the participants in an international realm,” said Mr Musila.
Mr Musila said that Kenya Airways was committed to play a leading role in growing EASCR to claim even more glory and recognition in the world motorsport calendar in conjunction with the rally organisers.
Captivating landscapes
Fans and spectators will have nine days - from November 23 to December 1 - to enjoy the event as the crew battle it out through savannah and forests, rivers and valleys, racing against the scenic backdrop of some of the most captivating landscapes in the world covering over 4,000 kilometres in both Kenya and Tanzania.
“The Safari Classic Rally competitor’s journey to the chequered flag begins as soon as they set off for Kenya, so it’s wonderful to have the support of our national carrier and the pride of Africa – Kenya Airways. Year-on-Year they do us proud and it’s always a pleasure to work with them,” said EASCR Ltd director Raju Kishinani.
This year’s rally will see some of the big names return to the picturesque Safari Classic terrain. The 1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist will be back to defend the title he won for the first time in 2015 behind the wheel of a Porsche 911. The Swede oldie will renew his rivalry with local hero and six times Kenya National Rally Champion Ian Duncan who recently aired his Ford Capri RS3100 in a competitive test ahead of the 2017 Safari Classic. Also in the mix will be Datsun 260Z of South Africa’s Geoff Bell and the highly competitive group B Mazda RX-7 of French historic veteran, Philippe Gache.
July 2017
Kenya Airways selects latest technology from Sabre to increase group booking revenue.
Kenya's flag carrier, Kenya Airways, is broadening its revenue streams, having implemented the latest group booking technology from Sabre Corporation. The new approach to group bookings will see the airline use Sabre's AirVision Group Optimizer platform to streamline group revenue management processes and provide a more holistic view of each booking. A study indicates that group bookings make up approximately 10 percent of total seats sold across the industry, but today airlines face a challenge in maximising revenue from each seat.
For an airline, allocating too many seats to group bookings too far in advance can result in missed opportunities to market higher fares at a later stage. This potential loss in revenue can be significant for airlines. Most airlines also manage group booking requests manually, even though a study found that more than 80 percent of travel managers believe these processes should be automated. Sabre's Group Optimiser will now enable Kenya Airways to compare the potential revenue opportunity from a new group reservation request against the projected revenue for individually-sold seats on the same flight, automatically identifying the most profitable option available. This new decision support capability can improve revenue by as much as two percent.
July 2017
Kenya Airways/KLM dilution
Kenya Airways announced it was pushing ahead with a restructuring plan under which KLM's stake in that airline would drop. The Dutch airline's stake in the African carrier would become diluted as banks convert their debt into equity. Under the plan, KLM would consider investing up to €25 million ($28.90 million) in cash to help its struggling partner.
July 2017
Kenya Airways set to offer shareholders a rights by issue
Kenya Airways announced it is set to offer shareholders a rights issue by the end of the year. Former Chief Executive Mbuvi Ngunze says the move will see shareholders re-invest in the airline after the restructuring plan takes root. Ngunze who is now an advisor to the Kenya Airways Board says the restructuring includes government converting their existing debt into equity. The national carrier reached a deal with key creditors and major shareholders to convert the Sh25 billion debt it owes the government and about Sh23.25 billion commercial loans from 11 domestic banks to equity, a deal endorsed by the Cabinet. According to Ngunze, this is the best option for the airline to get back to profitability.
In May 2017, Kenya Airways announced it is to undertake a capital restructure as it attempts to rebuild its business following a disastrous few years. One contributor to Kenya Airways financial improvements was a record 4.5 million passengers. Average passenger load factor increased 4% up to 72.3%, although Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) decreased 4%. Overall operating costs were down slightly, but fleet rationalisation led to a reduction in fleet costs of 47.5%.
In June 2017, Kenya Airways announced its financial restructuring plan has received a boost after 11 local banks agreed in principle to convert into equity most of the $225m of loans they have made to the lossmaking airline. The banks’ debt-for-equity swap is part of a broader restructuring that involves the Kenyan government, which has a 29.8 per cent stake in the Nairobi-listed airline, also converting $243m of loans it has made to the company into shares. The carrier’s troubles stem from an ambitious expansion of its fleet and route network in 2012 that subsequently hit problems after a terrorist attack on Nairobi’s Westgate shopping centre and the Ebola outbreak in west Africa.
8th June 2017
Kenya Airways to start direct flights to US in April 2018
Kenya Airways is set to commence direct flights to the United States in April next year. The airline is also working on code-sharing agreements with an American airline, which is expected to come into place October this year. Kenya Airways have been granted air traffic rights to the United States airspaces.
2nd May 2017
Kenya Airways opens cargo express centre at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
The centre is aimed at improving KQ cargo revenue as part of the turnaround strategy, Operation Pride while catering for premium cargo clients needing express services. The facility will ensure Kenya Airways cargo customers get efficient and quick service targeting major courier and e-commerce players. It will be a one-stop shop for airlines and freight forwarders to enhance efficiency in e-commerce logistics, electronic customers clearance and cargo handling services, mail-handling and airport ground handling service. “This centre is equivalent of the First Class lounge that our passengers enjoy. It is one of the many initiatives under our turnaround strategy to find new revenue sources,” said Kenya Airways CEO and MD Mbuvi Ngunze.
May 2017
Kenya Airways announced it had introduced direct flights to Victoria Falls after launching its Nairobi - Victoria Falls - Cape Town route.
The new route, which is being serviced by an Embraer E190 with a configuration of 12 business class seats and 84 economy class seats, is the airline's 52nd and it's second in Zimbabwe after the Nairobi-Harare route where it operates 21 flights weekly. Kenya Airways will service the new route three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. This will see the airline increasing its operations to Cape Town from four, which are serviced via Livingstone, to six.
28th April 2017
The Ministry of Tourism of Kenya will invest more into marketing the country’s tourist attractions in regional than international markets
The ministry has opened a Tourist Information Centre at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport which is aimed at making information on Kenya more accessible. This new strategy is projected to help grow tourist arrivals by 20% annually starting this year. Arrivals are expected to increase from 1.34 million last year to about 1.5 million this year, with full recovery expected in 2018.
Kenya Tourism Board, the country’s lead marketer, has also partnered with Kenya Airways to market destination Kenya through a branded Boeing Dreamliner.
One of KQ’s Boeing 787-8 has been branded ‘Magical Kenya’– the official travel and tourism guide by the KTB – which describes attractions and provides databases of safari operators and accommodation in Kenya.
24th April 2017
Kenya Airways launches Nairobi - Victoria Falls flights
Kenya Airways has announced that the airline will bring forward the launch of the maiden flight to Victoria Falls to 1st May 2017. Kenywa Airways also has planned to introduce connecting flights to Cape Town, South Africa.
28th March 2017
Kenya Airways's partner KLM have announced that they will resume flights to Sierra Leone and Liberia
For the first time in 20 years, KLM will resume flights to Freetown in Sierra Leone and Monrovia in Liberia. The flight services were halted during the civil wars in the 1990s.
The new service will fly 3 times a week, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays (from Amsterdam and returning via Monrovia).The return of the service will add more connecting opportunities for Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
3rd March 2017
Kenya Airways will commence additional services to Zimbabwe and South Africa with the offering of Nairobi – Victoria Falls – Cape Town service
The service will begin operating on 13th July 2017 on board the Embraer E190 aircraft 3 times a week.
1st February 2017
Kenya Airways plans to increase Nairobi – Dubai service in February and March 2017
The services will increase flights from 14 to 16 weekly. Additional services are scheduled to commence from 9th February to 25th March 2017.
In November 2016, Kenya Airways and Vietnam Airlines announced it had renewed and expanded its codeshare agreement. The national carrier yesterday said the new agreement will allow it more access to South East Asia destinations, which took effect this November. The codeshare covers the Bangkok-Hanoi and Saigon, Nairobi–Hanoi, and Hanoi-Kuala Lumpur routes. In March 2017, Kenya Airways announced it was upbeat as it marked its 40th anniversary. New routes include a Victoria Falls to Cape Town flight from May 18, following increased demand for flights to Zimbabwe, which UK tour operators are likely to use as part of multi-centre itineraries. The airline is also working more closely with joint venture partner Air France-KLM on its airline ticketing and marketing activity with the trade, which makes up 90% of Kenya Airlines’ UK sales. In March 2017, Kenya Airways announced that flights from Nairobi to New York's JFK will be launched in early May. This is after Kenya Airways formally requested the US federal aviation department for a licence to fly directly to the US. Kenya Airways aircraft and its crew will be rated and reviewed before the licence is issued.
In March 2017, Kenya Airways announced it had entered into Boeing 737 sales-and-leaseback deal over two Boeing 737-700s. The remarketing division of Air Partner, the UK-based aviation services group, said March 10 it had arranged the sale of the aircraft to an undisclosed lessor. The two aircraft had then been leased back to Kenya Airways for continued operation. They were originally delivered new to Kenya Airways in 2002 and 2003 and are powered by CFM56-7B26 engines. The East African flag carrier has incurred heavy losses in recent years and has substantially slimmed down its fleet as it seeks to return to profitability.
Kenya Airways was a candidate for SkyTeam alliance in 2005. KLM sponsored the african airline along the way and in 2007, Kenya Airways became one of the first official Sky Team Associate Airlines. Later, in 2010, the airline became a full member of the alliance. Benefits, among others, are accesibility to the large number of members' network and passenger facilities.
In 2012, the company iniciated a huge expansion plan. Kenya Airways is set to expand to 24 new destinations by 2021. Among the new destinations the carrier will include are Sao Paulo, Toronto and Perth, as well as seven new destinations in China. In addition, Kenya Airways has purchased several aircrafts, including Boeings 777s and 787s.
In November 2016, Kenya Airways announced enhanced cooperation with India's Jet Airways to codeshare on domestic flights within cities in India. The agreement will link Mumbai and New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, in order to enhance connectivity choices for guests traveling from Kenya in to India. Through this agreement, Kenya Airways will have its flight code (KQ) on Jet Airways' seven daily flights between Mumbai and New Delhi, five daily flights from Mumbai to Ahmedabad and five daily flights between Mumbai and Hyderabad for travel effective today. This, together with KQ's twice daily flights on the Nairobi - Mumbai route will allow Kenya Airways passengers greater access to these key Indian cities and onwards to other destinations in India. The arrangement also enables Jet Airways passengers to book codeshare tickets to Nairobi, and access the rest of Kenya Airways network across Africa.
Harare
