Kenya Airways: 40 years of promoting small businesses, entrepreneurs

With a leased Boeing 707-320 from the British Midland Airways, a small East African country took to the sky and the continent held its breath as the country’s aircraft left London for Nairobi to the cheers of hundreds of Kenyans awaiting an arrival at the Embakasi Airport.

That was 40 years ago. Since then, it has promoted millions of small business across Africa, and especially Nigeria, Country Manager, Hafeez Balogun told the Entrepreneurship+ on Friday.

Over the last four decades since the Kenya Airways has connected Africa with the world, analysts are saying that the airline has emerged as an important economic drive in Kenya and the region as a whole.

The airline, which grew to become a leading player in Africa since it was incorporated in 1977, has recorded some significant achievements, company CEO and Managing Director, Mbuvi Ngunze, said recently at a small celebration to mark the 40th anniversary of the airline with customers and partners at JKIA Terminal 1A, Nairobi Kenya.

“Today Kenya Airways connects directly from Nairobi to more than 54 destinations in four continents, with a fleet of 36 aircrafts from the initial four. It has been an interesting journey and we believe our best years are ahead,” Ngunze said.

According to him, the national carrier’s growth has been characterised by a strategic network expansion focusing on Africa, fleet modernisation, and high quality service among other facets of development.

It will be recalled that on that only this month, Kenya Airways signed a new agreement to expand connectivity between Asia and Africa, in which the codeshare partnership with Hong Kong Airlines allows passengers to book single-ticket travel between Nairobi, Bangkok and Hong Kong, using a combination of the two carriers.

“This partnership will enable us and Hong Kong Airlines to offer our customers seamless connection, especially for our passengers in the region who mainly travel to these Asian cities for business. Our guests will now be able to enjoy daily flights between Hong Kong and Nairobi up from the current three weekly flights,” Ngunze had said at the time of inking the deal.

Walking back to the time in the airways’ history, Balogun talked about those times when the carrier flew the continents, and some parts of the world with such equipment as Douglas DC-8, Fokker F27, Airbus A310, and Boeing 707- 320 in early 1970s and 1980s to Boeing 7557-200, Boeing 737-300 in 1990s, Saab 340b, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 777-200ER and Embraer 170 LR, among others in the 2000s.

Today, however, the airways boasts of having one of the youngest fleet in the region, operating state of the art modern aircraft – Embraer 190 AR, Boeing 737 and the 787- Dreamliner “that have seen our operations remain focused on offering unparalleled customer experience.”

Ngunze said the national carrier’s growth has been characterised by a strategic network expansion focusing on Africa, fleet modernisation, and high quality service among other facets of development.

The fact that the airline was the first African flag bearer carrier to be privatized, in 1996, was an opportunity for the national carrier to get listed across East Africa, opening commercial partnership opportunities with various global carriers, including a joint venture with KLM and codeshares with airlines in Europe, Asia and Africa. Through its membership in the Sky Team Alliance, Kenya Airways offers service to 1,057 destinations in more than 177 countries.

“These achievements have earned us accolades in this continent and beyond. Kenya Airways has been named for the fourth time in a row Best Business Class and recognized as Africa’s Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards, a position we plan to continue to hold.

“Beyond our direct activities and business, we cannot fail to recognise Kenya Airways role’s in the economic transformation of this region and by extension the African continent. The last four decades has seen KQ connect Africa to the world and the world to Africa, not only transporting people and goods but also ideas that have laid foundation of our modern civilization through commerce that has opened up economies in several countries, wealth creation and the general people to people interaction that has enabled inter cultural exchange,” Ngunze said with pride.

As the airline celebrates its 40 years, Ngunze is focusing on “vast” opportunities ahead. “The aviation space in Africa is growing and we are poised to take advantage of this. We aim to continue evolving KQ into a standards-setter for other airlines and aviation sector competency beyond Africa,” he said.

Also, Balogun, added that through its numerous corporate social responsibilities, promoted and connect thousands of Nigerian entrepreneurs to the world. He also said that company, which is leveraging on “vast” opportunities in the continent’s aviation sector, would keep promoting entrepreneurs in Nigeria and on the continent.