June 2023, Edition

Jambo, and welcome to the sixth installment of KQ Jetsetter. This June edition takes a closer look at our continuous efforts to improving our customers' experiences. It introduces our new loyalty program, Asante Rewards, as well as give further updates on our new partnerships, awards, thrilling events, and increased frequency route updates.

Thank you for staying in touch!

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Introducing Asante Rewards Program

On 14th June 2023, Kenya Airways unveiled its very own loyalty program, Asante Rewards. This loyalty program is aimed at appreciating customer loyalty as well as enhancing their flying experience.

Asante Rewards allows our customers to earn redeemable points when they fly with us or through our codeshare flights. The earned points will enable them to enjoy benefits such as reward tickets, seat upgrades, extra baggage allowance, priority services, and much more. The program primarily offers four tiers to our customers, namely: Ruby, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, with every tier having its own set of benefits and privileges.

Asante Rewards was created in response to the need of a program curated to cater to the needs of the African Market and its dynamics. This is also consistent with our commitment to innovate and develop products and services that provide an enhanced and more enjoyable end-to-end customer experience.

The launch event was graced by KQ's top leadership, corporate stakeholders, customers, and government officials, including Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development, and Public Works, Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen, who commended our contributions towards Africa’s aviation industry. The ministry's Principal Secretary, Mr. Mohamed Daghar attended the launch as well.

iCare - The Kenya Airways Customer Obsession Transformation

In a bid to improve our customers experience, KQ staff members across all departments in the company were taken through staff engagement and training sessions from June 12th–23rd, 2023, at The KQ Pride Centre. The iCare Immersion workshop was aimed at empowering our staff to offer a whole new level of customer experience to our customers.

The initiative themed "My Customer, My Pride'' is in line with our efforts in working together to achieve the ultimate goal of making KQ the customer's airline of choice. Customer centricity is very key in ensuring the success of this initiative. The sessions comprised exciting activities that were centered around promoting the adoption of winning behaviors towards customers, such as empathy, personalization, and ownership.

KQ Facilitates Hajj Pilgrimage For Travellers

On 16th June 2023, our Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Allan Kilavuka, alongside Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Defense, Aden Duale, took part in the flag-off of our flight to Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This inaugural flight from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was carrying Kenyan passengers embarking on the Sacred Hajj pilgrimage.

The flag-off event was also graced by the presence of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), led by their national chair, as well as the Deputy Ambassador of Saudi Arabia.

KQ operated multiple flights to this route for the seven days that followed, ensuring that Kenyan pilgrims had convenient and reliable transportation options to reach their destination and partake in this year's Hajj.

On the other hand, between June 13 and 15, 2023, Kenya Airways operated three special charter flights for our 400 esteemed guests traveling from Mayotte to Saudi Arabia, with a layover in Nairobi.

Our Country Manager for Vanilla Islands, Florence Njau, underlined the importance of these charters, which allow us to deliver tailor-made travel solutions that precisely respond to the unique needs of our customers.

KQ Charter Flights further reaffirms our commitment to providing enhanced customer service. It not only serves many destinations, but it also provides our passengers with exceptional travel experiences.

PARTNERSHIPS

KQ & Kenya Wildlife Services Tree Planting Initiative

Kenya Airways recently partnered with Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) on a tree-planting initiative at the Nairobi National Park as part of our participation in The Sustainable Flight Challenge (TSFC). This joint effort exemplifies our unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability.

Trees play an important role in carbon sequestration, acting as natural carbon filters and preventing climate change. This initiative is consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

Representatives from Kenya Airways, KWS, environmental specialists, and local community members participated in the tree-planting event. KQ and KWS believe that such collaborations and efforts are critical for a sustainable future. By combining our skills and resources, we are creating a unique example for the aviation and conservation industries, inspiring others to follow suit

KQ Signs Interline Agreement with Emirates

Kenya Airways and Emirates have signed an interline agreement that will see passengers from both airlines gain access to more travel options across the airlines' networks. The agreement also allows our customers to enjoy seamless baggage check-in to their final destinations.

Through this partnership, Emirates customers will be able to fly to 28 destinations on KQ's network through Nairobi and connect to other destinations such as: Nampula, Bangui, Bujumbura, Kigali, Dzaoudzi, Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, Kilimanjaro, Juba, Zanzibar among other regional points across Africa. Additionally, as part of a bilateral interline arrangement, Emirates passengers traveling via Dubai can also book a single ticket from or to Mombasa.

On the other hand, our customers traveling from Nairobi and Mombasa will now have access to Emirates’ network and seamlessly connect through Dubai to 23 destinations across West and South Asia, the Far East, the Indian Ocean, and the Middle East, such as Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, Ahmedabad, Beirut, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Seoul among others.

AWARDS

KQ Wins Best Airline Staff in Africa Award

Kenya Airways won the Best Airline Staff in Africa 2023 Award at the prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards. The awards, which began in 1999 allows customers to recognize and reward excellence in the aviation industry through directly voting for their airlines of choice.

Acknowledging this prestigious award, our Chief People Officer, Tom Shivo, emphasized the significance of this honor as well as the efforts of our people, who are the driving force behind our competitive edge. This important achievement reflects our commitment to provide the best customer service to our customers at all times.

EVENTS

AviaDev Africa Conference 2023

Kenya Airways participated in this year's edition of the AviaDev Africa event as the airline sponsor. This event, which is usually highly anticipated in the aviation industry, took place from 14th - 16th June 2023, at Nairobi's Radison Blu Hotel, and it was officially opened by Kenya's Deputy President, Hon. Rigathi Gachagua. 

The AviaDev Africa conference brings together professionals, experts, and enthusiasts from around the world with the aim of accelerating growth in the African aviation sector, and it is expected to return next year in Namibia.

Our Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Allan Killavuka, was present at the event and took part in the opening panel discussion dubbed, "Profit before the planet? Navigating investment in environmental solutions amidst industry-wide financial challenges".

IATA Focus Africa Conference 2023

The Focus Africa Conference 2023 was held from 20th - 21st June 2023, in Addis Ababa. This conference, organized by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), aims to improve aviation's contribution to Africa's development and brought together major aviation stakeholders from Africa, the Middle East, and other regions of the world.

As part of the conference, various topics were discussed over the course of two days, including aeronautical information management, intra-African connections, airport infrastructure, security, modern airline retail, and sustainability.

KQ's top leadership was present at the event, including our Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Allan Kilavuka, Chief Operating Officer George Kamal, and our Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Gerold Tumulka.

Our Chief Commercial and Customer Officer, Julius Thairu, while attending the event, took part in a panel discussion with the theme, "The Journey towards Modern Airlines Retailing".

WRC Safari Rally 2023

The WRC Safari Rally (WRC) 2023 took place from June 24th–25th, 2023, in Naivasha, Kenya. Kenya Airways participated in the rally as the airline sponsor. KQ partnered with M-Sport and their world-renowned drivers for the second time, bringing five rally cars into the country ahead of the rally.

KQ has contributed over KES 100 million in in-kind partnerships towards the International Automobile Federation (FIA) program to date. The in-kind support has been beneficial in supporting and facilitating the young rally drivers, their support teams, and officials' travel to rally competitions within Africa and Europe.

On June 13, 2023, our group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Allan Kilavuka, hosted three young rally stars, Jeremy Wahome, Hamza Anwar, and McRae Kimathi, who are under the International Automobile Federation Rally Star Program.

The Rally officially began at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Kenya, with a presidential flag-off ceremony presided over by Kenya's Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua. The Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Sports, Hon. Ababu Namwamba, Kenya's WRC Safari Rally Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Phineas Kimathi, and our Group Managing Director and CEO, Allan Kilavuka, along with other top government officials, also attended the launch event.

This was followed by the much-anticipated Kasarani Super Spectator Stage, which began with the rally vehicles racing down Nairobi's Thika Highway. The rally drivers performed remarkable stunts, delivering an entertaining experience for the attendees while demonstrating their expertise ahead of the main competition in Naivasha.

FREQUENCY & TRAVEL UPDATES

Bangui

Kenya Airways now offers you additional flights to Bangui from Nairobi every Tuesday. Fly with KQ for your business, trade, or leisure travel and benefit from our improved connectivity and more travel options.

Addis Ababa

Starting 19th July 2023, fly 9x weekly to Addis Ababa from Nairobi and experience the thrill of this stunning city. Explore the bustling markets and admire the stunning views of the city's landscape.

Kigali

Fly KQ 16x weekly to Kigali from Nairobi and back. Experience convenience and comfort with more flight options as you explore the beauty of Rwanda.

New York

Enjoy daily flights to New York from Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Get lost in the hustle and bustle of Times Square or explore the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and catch a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline.

London

Fly 10x weekly to London from Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Explore through the bustling streets of London and enjoy the scenic views of the beautiful architecture and iconic landmarks.

Jet Byte: Did you Know?

The air in an aircraft is much drier than air on the ground

This is mostly owing to the low humidity levels at high altitudes, where planes operate. 

At cruising altitude, where the air is substantially cooler and contains less moisture, this outside air is usually mixed with recirculated cabin air and conditioned before being supplied inside the cabin.

Editors: Esther Musyoki & Raymond Kigai.

Have you caught up with the latest edition of our in-flight magazine, Msafiri? Click here to read.