Temporary suspension of KQ flights

“Regarding the fire at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) we would like to inform all our customers and stakeholders that all our incoming and outgoing passengers are safe,” says Dr Titus Naikuni, Group Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Airways.

“There will be certain disruptions on our operations and as soon as we get clarity on the extent of the damage we will advise everyone on what we intend to do.

“Flights coming into JKIA have been diverted to Mombasa. Transiting passengers have been taken to hotels. Other flights from Nairobi have been temporarily suspended.”

KQ to start direct flights to Abuja

According to News24, Kenya Airways will soon begin direct flights to Abuja, Nigeria, in a bid to further tourism and trade.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said the recent review of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement between the two countries was an important milestone that will allow Kenya Airways to fly directly to Abuja. Speaking during a meeting with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan at State House, Abuja, Kenyatta said that the Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation on tourism under consideration by the two countries will also offer other avenues for exchanges in this sector.

“We want to see Nigerians stopping in Kenya for business and tourism, not just transiting through Nairobi," he said.

He encouraged Nigerian entrepreneurs to take advantage of the attractive investment opportunities available in Kenya to conduct business, and called for closer interaction between business communities from both countries, through the respective chambers of commerce and relevant trade and investment institutions, to facilitate and expedite trade and investments.

KQ and KLM cleared to align

According to eTurboNews, the Kenya Competition Authority has granted alliance partners Kenya Airways and Air France-KLM a further seven-year exemption in co-ordinating schedules, setting fares and using joint measures to save costs through codeshare agreements, scheduling alignments, and where necessary adjusting capacity on the Nairobi-Amsterdam route and beyond.

This means that no other airline may file cases claiming anti-competitive behaviour against them. KQ and KLM are free to align fares and take other joint action.

Kenya Airways and KLM have been in a close partnership since KQ was privatised in 1996, with KLM holding a significant share portion, alongside the government of Kenya. KLM sponsored KQ to full membership at SkyTeam, which has benefitted the African airline through codeshare arrangements with a number of partners, opening routes to Australia, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh City, and a number of Chinese mainland destinations.

 

SAA Reviews Alliances

According to businessweek, South African Airways CEO Monwabisi Kalawe has said that the airline will explore closer ties with local operators, whilst also reviewing the benefits of its Star Alliance membership. Kalawe, who took up his position on 1 June, said he has received messages from Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways, indicating they’re keen to explore “win-win relationships.”
He also said that he has plans to talk with Star Alliance CEO Mark Schwab in the coming months, to establish what SAA gains from its membership.
Kalawe said that there is a restructuring plan for state-owned SAA, which seeks to cut costs, refresh the fleet and focus on money-making routes, and this is due to go before South Africa’s cabinet.

KQ to Increase Botswana Flights

According to gazettebw, Kenya Airways has taken the decision to increase the number of their flights from Nairobi to Gaborone by two, due to increased demand.
That’s because KQ has realised good growth on the route. “The introduction of the night flight to Gaborone comes as the airline aims to meet the rising demand for travel between the two cities,” said KQ Country Manager Juliet Zintambila.
The Kenya Airways network was recently expanded with three new destinations; Livingstone in Zambia, Blantyre in Malawi and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The new flight departs Gaborone at 00h50 and lands in Nairobi at 06h00.
 It will be serviced by the narrow body mid-range twin engine Embraer E190. Zintambila added that KQ has ambitions to fly directly to Maun and Francistown, and is currently assessing the feasibility.

KQ and China Southern Sign Deal

According to eturbonews, Kenya Airways has signed a revised and expanded codeshare agreement with fellow SkyTeam member China Southern.
 The deal will become operational on 1 August and will cover an expanded list of destinations for Kenya Airways passengers, who fly from or via Nairobi to Guangzhou.
With one ticket and checked baggage, KQ passengers can now continue to key Australian destinations such as Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as the central Chinese city of Wuhan, which will be served on China Southern flights from Bangkok.
 In turn, China Southern passengers will be able to fly via Nairobi to Lusaka, Lagos and Johannesburg.

More KQ Flights to Eldoret

Kenya Airways will add three more flights between Nairobi and Eldoret, beginning in June, to address the increased seasonal demand.
This will bring to 14 the total number of KQ flights on this route, and with the three additional flights, Kenya Airways will effectively operate double daily flights to Eldoret.
On Mondays and Tuesdays, the additional flight will depart Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 17h10 and arrive at Eldoret International Airport at 18h10. The next flight will then depart Eldoret at 19h00 and arrive in Nairobi at 20h00.
 On Sundays, the additional flight will depart Nairobi at 07h00 and arrive in Eldoret at 08h00. The return flight will depart Eldoret at 08h45 and arrive in Nairobi at 09h45. The route is served by Embraer E170 aircraft. Eldoret sits in the Rift Valley region of Kenya and is the country’s fastest growing town.

KQ to Begin Abu Dhabi Flights in July

According to gulfbusiness.com, Kenya Airways will begin three-times weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Nairobi from 2 July.
 Flights are scheduled to depart the UAE capital at 19h25 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The service, on B737-800 aircraft, will be operated in conjunction with Etihad, following the signing of a reciprocal codeshare agreement in February. 
Kenya Airways is already placing its KQ code on Etihad’s daily service from Nairobi to Abu Dhabi, whilst Etihad is placing its EY code on Kenya Airways flights from Nairobi to 27 destinations across KQ’s African network.

Kenya Airways Flies to Maputo

Commencing 10 June, Kenya Airways will introduce an additional flight from its hub at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi to Maputo, Mozambique.
 This brings to four the number of flights operated by the airline. The flying time is just over four hours, but the one-hour time difference between Kenya and Mozambique should be factored into scheduling.
 Flight code KQ740 will depart Nairobi on Mondays at 10h50 to arrive in Maputo at 13h55, whilst flight code KQ741 departs Maputo at 14h45 to arrive in Nairobi at 19h50.
The additional capacity is aimed at meeting the rising travel demand to the Southern Africa country, while allowing its customers in Mozambique to take advantage of the airline’s growing route network.

KQ to fly to Zimbabwe

According to eturbonews.co, Kenya Airways will be launching flights to Livingstone, Zambia, in June, and then routing on to Harare, Zimbabwe. The available schedule pegs the operations between 2 June until initially 25 October, but if successful might extend further beyond that date. The aircraft that will service the route will be an Embraer 190E.

KQ Suspends Malawi Flights

 According to allafrica.com, Kenya Airways has suspended all flights to and from Malawi in the wake of a crippling strike by public sector workers in the southern African country. Kenya Airways operates 10 flights a week to and from Malawi's capital, Lilongwe and the suspension is expected to affect the business community in the two countries, as well as other connected southern African countries. A terse statement from Kenya Airways said the suspension will be in place until the situation in the country normalises. Other affected airlines include South African Airways and Ethiopian Airlines. Currently, the main airports in Malawi, Kamuzu International Airport and Chileka International Airport have been shut following the strike. The ongoing strike, one of the most serious, has paralysed operations in major economic and social installations in the country.

KQ and Etihad Enter into Codeshare

 Kenya Airways has announced the expansion of its global network through a new codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways. KQ will also launch a new three times a week service between Nairobi and Abu Dhabi, effective June. Under the new codeshare agreement, Kenya Airways will initially place its KQ code on Etihad Airways’ existing daily service between Nairobi and Abu Dhabi, and onwards to 32 destinations on Etihad’s global network.
 In return, Etihad Airways will place its EY code on Kenya Airways flights from Abu Dhabi to Nairobi, and onwards to 27 destinations across the Kenya Airways network in Africa. The connections will provide passengers with connections over Nairobi to destinations in East, West and Southern Africa.
The agreement with Etihad Airways brings the number of strategic codeshares that Kenya Airways has signed with other international carriers to 18.
In turn, the codeshare with the national carrier of Kenya brings to 42 the number of codeshare partners for Etihad Airways, providing the airline with a combined network of more than 349 destinations, more than any other Middle East airline.
The agreement paves the way for greater collaboration between the two airlines on joint procurement of services for ground handling, line and heavy maintenance, training and cargo operations.
The airlines are working on the integration of their respective frequent flyer programmes, Etihad Guest and Kenya Airway’s Flying Blue, to provide travellers with enhanced premium service benefits, enabling them to earn and redeem miles on each other’s flights. The new codeshare services between Etihad Airways and Kenya Airways go on sale on 15 March, for travel from 1 April onwards.

KQ Celebrates 36 Years

For its 36th birthday, Kenya Airways has lined up a series of activities and events, including rewarding loyal customers with various prizes. KQ launched its first flight in February 1977, following the break-up of the East African Community and disbanding of East African Airways. With only six aircraft when it was launched by the Kenyan government - four inherited from the collapsed regional airline and two leased ones - the airline has since been privatised, and grown its fleet and route network significantly. Today, Kenya Airways flies to over 50 destinations across the world and operates a fleet of 41 aircraft. During its 36 years of existence, Kenya Airways has achieved several milestones, including striking a strategic partnership with KLM in 1995; issuing an Initial Public Offering in 1996; and the Rights Issue in 2012. In terms of passenger safety, Kenya Airways achieved the International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit certification in 2005, making it the first airline in sub-Saharan Africa to do so. The 36th anniversary comes as the airline implements its 10-year growth plan, ‘Project Mawingu’, which aims at operating a fleet of 119 aircraft from 35, along with increasing its destinations from 58 to 115 routes, by the end of 2021. Kenya Airways is also part of the Sky Team, a global network of 19 international carriers, having joined in 2007.

Arrival of New Jet To Boost KQ's Network

Kenya Airways has received its new Embraer E-190 jet as it expands its eye on the African market which generates about half of the airline’s total revenue. It is the sixth of ten fully owned E-190 jets that Kenya Airways expects to take delivery of by mid 2013.
 The new aircraft which has 96 seats, 12 in business and 84 economy class, is suited for short regional routes within the Africa continent, where the airline is keen on boosting its presence. Dr Titus Naikuni, the Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer said the E190 is ideal for new routes development and increasing frequencies on existing routes .
In addition to the E-jets, Kenya Airways has also ordered nine Boeing 787 Dreamliners that are due for delivery by 2014. Under its 10-year strategic plan, Kenya Airways targets increasing its fleet to 119 by 2021 while growing the number of destinations to over 115 from the 50 that it currently flies to.

KQ and RwandAir Seek Partnership

 Kenya Airways and RwandAir have announced their intention to form a strategic partnership and stronger relations between the two airlines. Kenya Airways currently offers four flights a day between Kigali and Nairobi, with a wide network available to the rest of the world. RwandAir currently flies to Nairobi three times a day, and also serves Mombasa from its base in Kigali. The combined flights will offer more choice to passengers and better connectivity at the Nairobi hub. The collaboration promises to also strengthen the areas of cargo, maintenance and flight training. Already, RwandAir is using KQ’s new flight simulators to train its pilots. Benefits for the consumer will initially be felt through improved synergies, in the form of scheduling and passenger handling. However, additional value will become apparent as the relationship evolves with further refinement of reservation systems, as well as a frequent flyer partnership between the two companies. The finer details of this agreement will be mapped out in various agreements, which the airlines are currently reviewing for finalisation.

KQ Increases Simba Lounge Capacity

Kenya Airways has expanded its lounge at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, to cater for increase in customer growth. Under the brand name ‘Simba Lounge’, two Kenya Airways-operated lounges at JKIA will seat over 200 passengers, with the older Simba Lounge seating over 50 passengers and the newly-expanded Simba Lounge on the second floor at JKIA seating 150 passengers, in an area of about 1500 square metres.
 The lounge service will cater for Business Class, Flying Blue Elite Plus and SkyTeam Elite Plus passengers, where high value customers get the same unique service across all 500 lounges in all Skyteam member airlines. Passengers will have an option to choose which of the two lounges to use while waiting to depart. The lounge services will include amongst others, complimentary food, snacks and drinks, hot shower facility, high speed Wi-Fi Internet connection, satellite TV, and international newspapers and journals. The new lounge will be open to all Platinum and Gold card elite frequent fliers from all SkyTeam member airlines, departing or flying via Nairobi.

KQ Fly to Eldoret

Kenya Airways will commence flights to the Kenyan town of Eldoret, on the 17th of October. Located in the western region of the Rift Valley Province, KQ will operate 10 flights into Eldoret every week.
 Eldoret, taken from the Masai word “eldore”, meaning “stony river” due to its proximity to the Sosiani River, is currently the fifth largest town in Kenya. It houses one of Kenya’s seven public universities, Moi University, as well as its own international airport.
The Trans-African Highway forms a 10,269km east-west crossing of the African continent, with this frequented transit road network also passing through Eldoret. Major industries in the area include textiles, wheat, corn and pyrethrum, a natural insecticide made from the dried flower heads of the Chrysanthemum plant genus.

KQ Takes Delivery of Embraer E190

The first Embraer E190 aircraft to be fully purchased by Kenya Airways touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi in late August. The new acquisition brings the airline closer to its vision of flying to every capital in Africa by 2016.
It currently flies to 46 destinations in Africa with Nairobi as the hub. KQ now has a fleet of 11 Embraer aircraft, comprising a mixture of both E170 and E190 models. It’s believed the new fleet will lead to fleet optimization, by freeing larger jets to operate regional and continental routes, which will translate into better customer care and boosting frequency of flights.
 Besides enhanced comfort with more shoulder room, the E190 will offer state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment technology. It also has a wider aisle and more spacious cabin than its E170 predecessor, with a capacity of 98 to 106. Kenya Airways has nine more Embraer E190 aircraft on order, with six expected to join the fleet every month from now.
The remaining three will arrive in May, August and November 2013. The airline has also ordered nine Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to be delivered by 2014. Currently, KQ uses Embraer aircraft on domestic and short regional routes, including Kisumu, Entebbe, Kigali, Bujumbura, Addis Ababa, Djibouti, Maputo, Gaborone, Kilimanjaro and Nampula.