Kenya Airways signs code share deal with Vietnam Airlines

KENYA AIRWAYS SIGNS CODESHARE WITH VIETNAM AIRLINES

Kenya’s national airline has just announced their 17th code share agreement, linking Vietnam with Kenya via the airline’s direct flights to Bangkok, from where passengers can now enjoy seamless connections and through ticketing to fly to one of Asia’s most vibrant economies.

The daily flight by KQ to Bangkok connects a few hours later to both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, giving passengers from Kenya, the East African region and from across the continent yet another key destination in Asia in cooperation with another SkyTeam partner airline. More important even, according to a source close to Kenya Airways, is the ability to now generate traffic for Kenya, East Africa and the continent from Asia, where connectivity, especially with nonstop flights, is still rather limited, though this one stop connection will go a long way to stimulate demand.

Kenya Airways had earlier this year signed similar deals with Korean Air and Saudia, expanding the SkyTeam footprint from and to Africa.

Lower demand from Europe has seen the bottom line of KQ turn red during the first half of the current financial year and traffic from Asia is expected to at least in part make up for this trend, as Africa overall is now increasingly looking East for trade and travel. Watch this space.