NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 24 – Air France-KLM Group expects passenger bookings to increase by nearly 20 percent as Kenya’s aviation industry recovers from the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The airline projects a 19 percent increase in passenger seats in 2023, compared to last year.
It attributes the recovery to an increased demand for business travel.
“Kenya and the region remain a top priority of our network and we shall continue to provide a high-frequency network with updated products and services to connect Kenya to the world via our two hubs Charles De Gaulle – CDG and Schiphol,” the airlines East, Southern and West Africa General Manager Marius van der Ham said.
“Besides, we will continue to apply our double hub strategy to offer more choice and flexibility to our customers,” he added.
The improvement will also be replicated in other markets such as South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana.
The firm has also rolled out a raft of measures to solidify its position in the East African market as well as changing consumer needs.
It comes on the heels of a challenging period caused by the coronavirus that saw airlines around the world ground flights, causing millions of dollars in losses.
“For 2023 we aim to capitalize on the gains made in 2022 to further solidify our position in the East Africa market,” Marius van der Ham added.
“This means we will improve our products and services, review our fare structure to match consumer needs, improve our loyalty program, and continuously improve our airport experience by providing our customers with great support both at our departure and arrival stations.”
As of last year, the airline had restored its capacity to at least 85 percent.
Whereas corporate travelers’ contribution was at 95 percent in Kenya, Tanzania was at 75 percent.
With plans to expand its routes, the consortium also announced ongoing plans to incorporate sustainability and reduce the airline’s carbon footprint in 2023.
It hopes to emit 30% fewer emissions per passenger/km by 2030, compared to 10% in 2019.
“We have already engaged in an ambitious fleet renewal program focused on the Dreamliner and A350 for our long-haul network and the modern A220, A320 neo, and Embraer aircraft types for our short-haul operation,” said Marius van der Ham.
