Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ) on Thursday, September 28, announced the introduction of two daily flights to London effective October 29, 2023.
According to the airline, customers will be able to choose flights scheduled in the morning or evening.
“The airline’s customers can now choose between a morning flight via KQ 100 and an evening flight via KQ 102 allowing more travel options, convenience, and flexibility,” KQ stated.
According to the national carrier, the flight increase is meant to meet the demand of customers heading to London.
“Kenya Airways has been operating flights to London since its inception as a gateway to the United Kingdom (UK) for business travel, leisure travel, trade, and education travel,” the statement read in part.
“KQ will deploy the B787 Boeing Dreamliner on the route bringing the total flights per week to 14 up from 10 flights. The additional weekly flights will cater to the increased market demand for this route and growing passenger demand,” it added.
The new route is also touted to help the national airline return to profitability. This is after a series of losses encountered by the airline forcing the government to bail it out.
However, in August Kenya Airways reported an operating profit of Ksh998 million for the first time in 6 years.
In the 2023 Half Year results reported, the Group’s revenue grew to Ksh75 billion, recording a 56 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
The operating improvement was underpinned by a growth in the cabin factor to 76.1 per cent, with an increase in passenger numbers of 43 per cent to 2.3 million.
During this period, the company mainly focused on improving the customer experience, operational excellence, and cash conservation.
The airline also exploited opportunities to raise much-needed revenue through passenger charters and ramped up scheduled operations.
Other initiatives undertaken by the management include partnerships with other airlines, lease rental renegotiations, and other cost-reduction measures. Â
