EXPLAINER: Why Kenya Airways Plans To Add Its Flight Schedule Despite Middle East Conflict
Kenya Airways plans to add flights on some routes and expects to retain about 40 per cent of new passengers as the national carrier’s seat occupancy jumps to 99 per cent in March.
According to the airline CEO, George Kamal, demand for seats on Kenya Airways has spiked due to the effects of war in the Middle East, with most of the gains coming from Europe, the U.S. and Asia.
“We were like this … until February. Then it significantly increased. We reached up to 90 per cent total, 90, 99,” Kamal said on Monday.
Kamal revealed that the seat occupancy for the airline jumped by nearly 30 per cent from an average of 70 per cent at the start of the year on some routes.
He added, “It is the first time at this time of the year that we are seeing a load factor exceeding 90 per cent.”
The U.S.-Israel attack on Iran has disrupted transit through the Middle East hubs of Dubai and others, forcing travellers from Asia to North America to look at options, including the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
As a result of the increased traffic, KQ is doubling down on the expansion and intends to increase the frequency of flights on these routes to capitalise on the wave.
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“And so the most we see the gains are coming from Europe, from the U.S. and from Asia,” Kamal said.
“Those routes are contributing positively, very positively, to our network now.”
Already, KQ has moved 400 passengers from the conflict zone in the Middle East on two repatriation flights and is considering adding another flight.
There are over 500,000 Kenyans working in the Middle Eastern countries, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Historically, KQ operates two daily flights, about 14 per week, from JKIA to Dubai and a four-times-weekly direct service from Moi International Airport.
A codeshare allows KQ customers to access over 11 destinations via Doha, with Qatar Airways operating three daily flights between Doha and Nairobi.
EXPLAINER: Why Kenya Airways Plans To Add Its Flight Schedule Despite Middle East Conflict
