More aircraft set to join the Kenya Airways fleet starting with a new B737-800NG this month

KENYA AIRWAYS CONFIRMS DELIVERY OF THREE MORE B787 DREAMLINERS BETWEEN MAY AND JULY

(Posted 08th April 2015)

The recently witnessed attempt by sections of the social media, fueled by known individuals with an obviously hidden agenda to discredit Kenya Airways, has now all but evaporated as the puppet masters behind the campaign apparently realized that their intended purpose of the smear campaign could not be achieved.

While there is no hiding of the fact that the airline is going through a rough patch, caused by Ebola fears which has broadly impacted on sub-Saharan Africa and of course the crippling anti-travel advisories, both of which has affected passenger numbers, are there nevertheless silver linings on the horizon.

The airline plans to restructure their debt burden and the services of a consultancy firm will be used to accomplish that task, which in the short and medium term should bring financial relief in terms of monthly cash outflow. Even critics of the airline have conceded that Kenya Airways remains the predominant aviation force in Eastern Africa and brings business travelers and tourists alike to Nairobi from where they can connect to the region and the almost entire continent within a few hours of arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

While tourism may not be doing well at present does Kenya and the Eastern African region nevertheless show impressive GDP increases and the overall economic performance, especially when the presently depressed crude oil prices are rising again, is broadly considered positive in the medium and long term.

The airline’s contribution to the Kenyan economy is substantial and travel across the region across Africa, to Europe, the Gulf, the Indian Subcontinent and into Asia, without Kenya Airways, is simply unimaginable.

In April will Kenya Airways take delivery of another Boeing B737-800NG equipped with a Sky Interior cabin and another one of these short and medium haul aircraft is due to join the fleet in November this year. This completes an order of three, the first of which arrived in Nairobi already back in January.

Long haul routes will get a further boost when the remaining three Boeing B787-8 Dreamliners will be delivered, expected to join the fleet in May, June and July respectively this year. This should put to rest the rumour mill which, often using the anonymity of the social media and in particular Twitter, repeatedly suggested that these orders would be deferred if not outright cancelled.

Only last week did Kenya Airways launch flights to Hanoi / Vietnam in conjunction with SkyTeam partner Vietnam Airlines, from where a range of Far Eastern destinations is now available for KQ passengers through onward flights operated by Vietnam Airlines under codeshare arrangements. In turn will Kenya Airways be able to carry traffic from that part of the world into Nairobi and beyond, the presently the only direct airlink between Vietnam and Africa.

Of course will all eyes of pundits and aviation observers be on the 25th of June, when the airline is expected to announce their annual audited results for the just ended financial year 2014/15. No doubt will the management of the airline at that stage shed more light on their plans how they intend to accomplish a financial turnaround.

Meanwhile is travel with the Pride of Africa safe and recent schedule changes have introduced a range of additional flights on domestic routes to the Kenya coast, into the region and across Africa, which remains a key source market for transit passengers traveling with Kenya Airways via Nairobi to their final destinations.

One Response

  1. Reblogged this on Nature Bound Africa and commented:
    Meanwhile is travel with the Pride of Africa safe and recent schedule changes have introduced a range of additional flights on domestic routes to the Kenya coast, into the region and across Africa, which remains a key source market for transit passengers traveling with Kenya Airways via Nairobi to their final destinations.