✈ Flights to and from Kenya

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Kenya Airways is the flag carrier of Kenya with its hub at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya. The airline was established in 1977.

Kenya Airways is a member of the Sky Team Alliance and is a leading African airline flying to 53 destinations worldwide and carries 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.

Kenya Airways flies to many destinations both domestic and international. Kenya Airlines flies to 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.

As part of its Star Alliance membership, Kenya Airways has codeshare agreements with 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.

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.

News

03 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.

This is 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 Optimizer 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 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 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.

Boeing 787-7

Boeing 737-800

Boeing 777-300ER

Boeing 737-700

Boeing 777-200ER 

 Embraer E190

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport 

HUB Airport

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is Kenya's international airport in Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is Kenya Airways' hub airport. The airport has scheduled flights to destinations in over 50 countries. It also acts as a hub for Fly540 and African Express Airways. The Airport has one runaway and can handle nearly 6 million passengers every year. Other airlines which use Kenya International Airport include African Express Airways, China Southern Airlines, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, KLM, LAM Mozambique Airlines, RwandAir and South African Airways.