KENYA: Kenya Airways To Fly 10 Times A Week On Non-stop Flights To Cape Town And Commence Daily Flights To New York In October

Kenya Airways (KQ) will fly to Cape Town 10 times weekly following the introduction of direct flights to the South African city on Wednesday.

The three non-stop flights will depart Nairobi every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday as the carrier stretches its wings to capture the African market.

We are indeed very proud to increase our frequencies to South Africa to cater for the growing number of our customers who travel between Nairobi and Cape Town.

In addition to enhancing Africa integration, this new route will be beneficial to the tourism industry as it establishes vital links with our global network, said Kenya Airways Chief Commercial Officer Vincent Coste.

The national carrier began flying the Cape Town route via Livingstone in 2016, with seven weekly flights to the South African capital. This in addition to the three non-stop flights brings the tally to 10.

The carrier is set to have its maiden flights to New York as well as introduction of direct flights to Mauritius.

The carrier already has a pre-existing code sharing agreement with Air Mauritius, which flies between Port Louis and Nairobi.

This will mean that passengers from Kenya will from June have the option of flying daily to Mauritius.

KQ flies to 42 African destinations out of a total 51 globally.

Kenya Airways is set to commence daily flights between Nairobi and New York in October, marking a milestone for the national carrier that will cut the flight time between the two cities by more than seven hours.

Travellers have begun booking advance tickets for the airline’s maiden flight to the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Kenya Airways has already secured a landing slot at JFK.

The trans-Atlantic flights, scheduled to depart Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 10:30pm every day, will last 15 hours.

This is a reduction from the current flight time of over 22 hours, including lengthy layovers.

We are currently loading the flights onto our system. We shall go live and ready for bookings on Thursday, says Kenya Airways chairman Michael Joseph in a telephone interview.

The launch of direct flights between Kenya and the United States will mark a significant milestone for the business and for the country.

Passengers travelling to JFK will arrive at 6.30 a.m., in time for morning meetings, while the return flight from JKF will depart at 1.30 p.m. and arrive in Nairobi at 10.30 a.m. the next day.

Each trip will have a maximum of 234 passengers, 204 in Economy and the rest in Business Class of the national carrier’s Dreamliner aircraft.

Kenya Airways, known in short as KQ, had announced its preference to operate the flights through a code-share partnership with US carrier Delta Airlines, its SkyTeam partner.

Delta, Virgin Atlantic and KLM Air France are KQ joint venture partner and shareholder are, however, currently working out a time-consuming merger, which has seen KQ opt to go it alone for now.

When this merger is over, we may add another flight to the US with a connecting flight through West Africa, said Mr Joseph.

The government, KQ’s top shareholder, has recently stepped up its campaign to actualise direct flights to America, with the Uhuru Kenyatta administration anticipating it will boost exports to the US and help jumpstart the tourism sector.

With about 100,000 tourists visiting Kenya every year for leisure and business, the US remains the top source of visitors into Kenya from the Americas, according to Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) data

Imports from the US stood at Sh47.8 billion in 2016, mostly consisting of machinery and equipment while exports, mostly garments and apparels, stood at Sh43.4 billion.

Kenya has recently implemented a raft of recommendations by the US government to enhance security, among them separation of passenger arrival and departure terminals, clearing the flight path and fencing off the airport.

As a result, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last February gave Kenya the Category One rating, paving the way for direct flights subject to other permits being received by the airport and KQ.

Mr Joseph now says the airline has secured all but two permits required for it to fly to the US, a position the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) director-general, Gilbert Kibe, confirmed.

JFK is yet to be cleared as the last point of departure, a security-based permit to be issued by the US Transportation Security Administration, said Mr Kibe.

The other outstanding permit is the technical authority to operate from the FAA. I am confident that KQ will receive the two in time.

Mr Joseph, who also exuded optimism about securing the twin clearances, said it was standard airline practice to put ticket up for sale at the closing preparatory stages of entering a new market.

JKIA’s longstanding second-class status forced passengers flying from Kenya to the US to transit through Europe, the Middle East or the four African countries, South Africa, Ethiopia, Cape Verde, and Nigeria whose airports have the designation.

Airlines plying the JKIA and JFK route include Turkish Airlines (through Istanbul), Qatar Airways (through Doha) and British Airways (through Heathrow), KLM (through Amsterdam) and Emirates (through Dubai and/or Italy).

Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways also have flights to the US while RwandAir hopes to commence such flights later this year.

KQ’s foray into the US comes at a time when the airline is facing an uphill task to turnaround its fortunes, with a recent restructuring of its balance sheet seen as the last chance.

The airline’s management, which recently announced a Sh3.8 billion half-year net loss for the business, hopes that the new route will help boost the their flat revenues.

Imports from the US stood at Sh47.8 billion in 2016, mostly consisting of machinery and equipment while exports, mostly garments and apparels, stood at Sh43.4 billion.

Kenya has recently implemented a raft of recommendations by the US government to enhance security, among them separation of passenger arrival and departure terminals, clearing the flight path and fencing off the airport.

As a result, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last February gave Kenya the Category One rating, paving the way for direct flights subject to other permits being received by the airport and KQ.

Mr Joseph now says the airline has secured all but two permits required for it to fly to the US, a position the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) director-general, Gilbert Kibe, confirmed.

JFK is yet to be cleared as the last point of departure, a security-based permit to be issued by the US Transportation Security Administration, said Mr Kibe.

“The other outstanding permit is the technical authority to operate from the FAA. I am confident that KQ will receive the two in time.”

Optimistic

Mr Joseph, who also exuded optimism about securing the twin clearances, said it was standard airline practice to put ticket up for sale at the closing preparatory stages of entering a new market.

JKIA’s longstanding second-class status forced passengers flying from Kenya to the US to transit through Europe, the Middle East or the four African countries — South Africa, Ethiopia, Cape Verde, and Nigeria — whose airports have the designation.

Airlines plying the JKIA and JFK route include Turkish Airlines (through Istanbul), Qatar Airways (through Doha) and British Airways (through Heathrow), KLM (through Amsterdam) and Emirates (through Dubai and/or Italy).

Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways also have flights to the US while RwandAir hopes to commence such flights later this year.

KQ’s foray into the US comes at a time when the airline is facing an uphill task to turnaround its fortunes, with a recent restructuring of its balance sheet seen as the last chance.

The airline’s management, which recently announced a Sh3.8 billion half-year net loss for the business, hopes that the new route will help boost the their flat revenues.

Kenya Airways' destinations outside Africa are:

- Guangzhou, China

- Paris, France

- Hong Kong, China

- Mumbai, India

- Amsterdam, Netherlands

- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

- Bangkok, Thailand

- London, United Kingdom

- Hanoi, Vietnam

- Dubai, UAE

Kenya Airways (KQ) has been feted as Africa’s leading airline at the 24th Annual World Travel Awards held in Kigali, Rwanda.

This is the second consecutive year the national carrier has won the coveted title, beating other nominees including South African Airways, RwandAir, EgyptAir and Royal Air Maroc.

KQ was also named the winner in the Business Class category for the fifth consecutive year, while Ethiopian Airlines bagged the award in the Economy Class category - winning it for the fifth year in a row.

Winning these awards would not have been possible without the passion and dedication of the Kenya Airways team and the strong support from our guests.

Our guests are at the heart of everything we do at the airline and these two awards confirm our undeterred commitment to them, said KQ boss Sebastian Mikosz in a statement Wednesday.

Ethiopian Airlines was feted as Africa's leading airline brand, coming out tops in the category against Kenya Airways, South African Airways, RwandAir, EgyptAir, Tunisair and Royal Air Maroc.

Cape Town International Airport in South Africa was named the region's leading hub while Diani Beach in Kenya was named as Africa's leading beach destination.

The World Travel Awards serve to recognise, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry within each key geographical region.

Last year's ceremony was held in Zanzibar, Tanzania.


Tourism Observer

KENYA: Kenya Airways May Merge With Kenya Airports Authority

Kenya Airways may merge with the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) as part of a grand plan to deepen the airline’s recovery and maintain Nairobi’s status as a regional transport hub.

A policy paper which got the Cabinet’s approval on Tuesday, says the aim is to reposition KQ in a similar fashion as its main rivals, including Ethiopian Airlines and Emirates Group, which have relied on government backing to expand their reach.

The move also appears to be in reaction to the financial difficulties the carrier has continued to experience even after last year’s completion of a major financial reengineering drive, causing concern that it may not be able to withstand competition in the very near future.

Should matters remain in the current state, KQ, the biggest revenue driver for JKIA - Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, may collapse or significantly reduce operations within the next year.

JKIA will downgrade and eventually be relegated to the status of a regional airport as no foreign carrier will develop JKIA for the benefit of Kenya, KQ and the KAA said in a proposal document to the Cabinet.

The policy document named Project Simba notes that the carrier’s recent financial restructuring to the tune of Ksh75 billion ($750 million) was insufficient to resolve its challenges.

Project Simba says that the airline’s fortunes must now be hooked to a comprehensive national aviation policy.

Through a public-private partnership (PPP) that could be signed by September, Kenya Airways will take over all the staff and operations of the KAA in a move that will at once expand the range of its services to include ground handling, maintenance, catering, warehousing and cargo.

It is also envisaged that a special economic zone will emerge around the country’s main aviation hub, JKIA.

The government is further expected to support the joint venture by exempting it from certain taxes and allowing it to retain several levies as part of the plan to stop financial haemorrhage at Kenya Airways and bolster JKIA’s status as an East African aviation hub.

KQ chairman Michael Joseph, who helped craft the plan said finer details, including the new entity’s corporate structure and its implications on the airline’s shareholders, will be worked out in due time.

It is still early days. All the pending issues will be discussed, Mr Joseph said.

Michael Joseph said the government needs to stop looking at KQ as a profit centre on its own but should use it as a tool to deliver wider economic benefits, including attracting foreign tourists and multinationals seeking to establish regional headquarters in Nairobi.

While JKIA is fully owned by the government through the KAA, KQ’s ownership includes private investors whose interests will be addressed through the appointment of transaction advisers and the refinement of the project details.

The government’s stake in the airlines stands at 48.9 per cent, followed by 10 local banks (38.1 per cent). The rest of the KQ shares are held by local and foreign institutional and individual investors.

In contrast, KQ’s rivals such as Emirates, Ethiopian Airways, Qatar Airways and RwandAir are fully owned by their respective governments in what makes it easy to build synergies between the carriers and their home airports.

The proposed project is expected to help KQ add a minimum of 23 aircraft and more than 20 new international destinations over the next five years.

This, in turn, is projected to lift annual passenger numbers to 6.9 million from the current 4.1 million.

Fundamentally, the joint assets will result in synergies, boosting airline-related revenues, increasing exports of goods and creating 25,000 to 30,000 jobs in the future, the parties said.

It is envisaged that the PPP will have the KAA as the contracting authority and KQ as the private party.

The concession, which will run for a minimum of 30 years, will be held by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that will be fully owned by the national carrier.

The concession will have variable and fixed fees, with the latter earmarked to settle the KAA’s current liabilities that amount to Ksh5.1 billion ($51 million) per annum.

The government is ready to tweak tax laws to afford the project the necessary fiscal space to implement the ambitious plans.

These include exempting the SPV from valued added tax and exempting KQ from paying the Railway Development Levy and import declaration fees on aircraft, parts and utilities.

Kenya Airways is on track to solvency and is banking on route expansion, cost optimisation and improvement of service after posting a $60.4 million loss.

During the year the carrier restructured its balance sheet and reduced its annual debt payment obligations, allowing it room to revamp its operations.

In his first year as chief executive, Sebastian Mikosz has seen the airline’s loan repayments drop significantly to $91 million, from $250 million in the year to March 2017.

As at December 2017, the airline’s total debt stood at $1.39 billion, with total assets of $1.4 billion. Its operating profit stood at $13 million, from $8.97 million the previous year.

The results are an improvement from last year, when it posted an after-tax loss of $99.6 million. The airline is now seeking partnerships, new routes and cost optimisation to complete its path to recovery by 2020.

We will next month seek the board’s approval to add more than 20 new destinations in Africa, Europe and Asia over the next five years.

We plan to use the five aircraft Kenya Airways sub-leased to other carriers to build capacity and carry additional passengers, Mr Mikotz says.

The airline will this year take back two Boeing Dreamliners sub-leased to Oman Air, with one of them expected in the country by September, which it plans to use to ply its New York route starting October and is expected to boost KQ’s revenues by between eight and 10 per cent.

The other Dreamliner and the three Boeing 777-300 aircraft leased to Turkish Airlines will be returned to the airline by end of next year.

We are looking at at least one European and one Asian route on top of the African network. We might announce two to three new routes to start operating next year, Mr Mikotz said.

Airline chairman Michael Joseph also said they plan to partner with other airlines.

We are discussing with South African Airways to join forces on aircraft repairs, route sharing and other issues. For instance, we fly to similar destinations in Africa, so why not share these? Mr Joseph said.

This year the airline also changed its financial reporting date from March to December in-sync with other aviation players such as travel agents, financiers and lessors.

Right now, we are restructuring the business, finding ways to increase revenues and keep costs manageable, Mr Joseph added.

The $60.4 million loss, the airline said was due to the 14 per cent increase in fuel costs mirroring global fuel prices, and a 20 per cent drop in customer numbers.

Last year the carrier airlifted 3.4 million passengers during the nine months to December earning $808 million, but its operating costs consumed $795 million.

This was a drop from 4.2 million carried in the previous year, which the airline blamed on the prolonged electioneering, which saw passengers change their transit points from Nairobi to other African airports.

KQ’s equity stood at $4.17 million in the period under review compared with negative $450 million in the year to March 2017.

The change in fortunes stems from a complex restructuring late last year, during which its main creditors, including 10 local commercial banks and the government converted $442 million loans into equity.

This saved it from downfall as part of a $2 billion debt restructuring programme.


Tourism Observer