Kenya Airways and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have jointly launched the first direct freighter service between mainland China and Africa. This also marks Kenya Airways’ entry into freighter service, with a dedicated Boeing 747F.
The Boeing 747-400F cargo freighter is expected to significantly boost the airline’s capacity to airlift cargo between its growing Asian and African markets, whilst realising higher earnings from cargo as a distinct revenue source.
Through its cargo arm, KQ Cargo, Kenya Airways has entered into a joint venture with KLM Cargo to operate the freighter, which is owned by Martinair, a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group. The service connects China’s key industrial zone in Guangdong with the Kenyan capital Nairobi, thus offering access to all key African markets through KQ passenger service.
The cargo freighter has a capacity to carry 120 tonnes, which is over five times the belly capacity of the Boeing 777, the largest aircraft in the airline’s fleet. The wide-body cargo freighter will operate the Amsterdam-Guangzhou-Nairobi-Lagos-Nairobi-Amsterdam circuit.
The aircraft will make stopovers in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, on its way from Guangzhou to Nairobi. KQ plans to introduce 12 freighters into its growing fleet over the next 10 years, some wholly-owned and others leased. This will improve the airline’s overall cargo carrying capability and reduce over-dependence on the passenger fleet, whose belly capacity is limited.
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