Emirates and Kenya Airways enter interline partnership to offer more travel options between Africa and the Middle East

An Emirates plane on a runway - File Photo

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 Source: Emirates

Accra Ghana, on 15th June, Emirates and Kenya Airways (KQ) announced an interline partnership that will allow customers of both airlines access to new destinations on the two airlines’ networks within a single itinerary.

The agreement will provide customers including Ghanaians, with increased travel options as well as seamless baggage check-in to their final destination.

Emirates customers including Ghanaians will now be able to fly to 28 destinations on the Kenya Airways network using Nairobi as the gateway to destinations such as Nampula, Bangui, Bujumbura, Kigali, Dzaoudzi, Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, Kilimanjaro, Juba, Zanzibar, among many other regional points across Africa.

Additionally, as part of a bilateral interline arrangement, Emirates passengers traveling via Dubai can also book a single ticket itinerary from or to Mombasa, one of the most popular leisure destinations in Kenya.

Similarly, Kenya Airways passengers traveling from Nairobi and Mombasa will now be able to access the 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.

Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates said, “We are pleased to ink our first partnership with Kenya’s flag carrier. Kenya is a strategic gateway in our African network, and this new interline agreement will enhance connectivity for Emirates’ customers and provide them with more travel choices across the continent. We look forward to deepening our relationship with Kenya Airways, offering greater network opportunities, and improving connections for both of our customers.”

Speaking on the agreement Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Kenya Airways said, “This partnership will provide the ideal gateway for our customers as we seek to increase our connectivity between Africa and the Middle East through Emirates’ hub in Dubai. Partnerships like these are key in aviation as they take advantage of mutual scale and efficiencies to provide customers with more seamless travel options.”

Tickets are available to purchase on emirates.com, online travel agents (OTAs) as well as through major travel agencies.

Emirates began operations in Kenya with the launch of flights between Nairobi and Dubai in 1995, and since then it has steadily grown the route to 14 weekly flights, having flown over 5 million passengers through the years. Emirates is also the only airline serving Kenya with private, enclosed First Class cabins, offering premium customers a superior experience across every touchpoint of their journey.

Kenya Airways recently launched direct flights between Mombasa and Dubai offering customers 4 weekly flights. The flight from Moi International Airport, Mombasa marked the second hub, other than its Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where the carrier connects passengers directly to the UAE.

KQ currently operates ten weekly flights to Dubai from Nairobi using a mix of B737-800 and the Dreamliner B787-800.

Travelers to and from Kenya can look forward to comfortable cabins and unmissable signature Emirates products and services. Guests in all classes can enjoy an unmatched culinary experience in the skies with regionally inspired multi-course menus developed by a team of award-winning chefs complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages.

Customers can sit back and relax with more than 6,500 channels of carefully curated global entertainment content featuring movies from East Africa, TV shows, African music, podcasts, games, audiobooks, and more with Ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

About Emirates:

From its global hub in Dubai, Emirates serves customers on six continents, providing high-quality air transport services that facilitate tourism and trade.

The airline has earned customer recognition for its industry-leading services on the ground and in the sky, delivered by a passionate workforce representing over 160 nations. Emirates operates the world’s largest fleet of wide-body Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft, offering spacious cabins and iconic inflight features such as its A380 Shower Spa and Onboard Lounge, and its ice inflight entertainment system available in all seats across its fleet, which has topped “best in the sky” awards for 17 consecutive years.

Emirates is committed to environmentally-responsible operations and focuses on three areas: reducing emissions, consuming responsibly, and protecting wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.emirates.com.

About Kenya Airways:

Kenya Airways, a member of the Sky Team Alliance, is a leading African airline flying to 42 destinations worldwide, 35 of which are in Africa. Prior to the COVID pandemic, the airline carried a record number of over five million passengers in 2019.

Its fleet comprises wide-body Boeing aircraft, this includes its flagship B787 Dreamliner and narrow-body Embraer E190 aircraft. The on-board service is renowned and the lie-flat business class seat on the wide-body aircraft is consistently voted among the world’s top 10.

Kenya Airways takes pride in being at the forefront of connecting Africa to the World and the World to Africa through its hub at the new ultra-modern Terminal 1A at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. For more information go to www.kenya-airways.com or call our 24-hour Customer Services Desk: +254 20 327 4747, Twitter: @KenyaAirways, Facebook: KenyaAirways, Instagram: Official KenyaAirways