- Kenya Airways announced an increase in its cargo fleet to four after onboarding a new Boeing 737-800 freighter
- The freighter is the second one KQ has received this year, as it aims to boost its freighter business
- KQ CEO Allan Kilavuka said the growing cargo fleet will capture opportunities emerging from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
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Kenya Airways has grown its cargo fleet to four after receiving its second freighter, a Boeing 737-800.
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KQ said the fleet will offer customers and partners more cargo capacity on its global network, especially the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
KQ cargo fleet expansion
The airline noted that the freighters will capture opportunities emerging from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to catalyse trade within the continent and out of the continent.
“We have made a commitment to gradually increase our cargo business support our customers in their long-term needs and deliver possibilities in the air. The arrival of the new B738 Freighter, the second one this year, and the fourth in our cargo fleet, is a significant milestone in KQ Cargo’s fleet expansion plans.
“We are confident the additional cargo aircraft will allow us to further increase our capacity and significantly increase our frequencies as we propel Africa’s prosperity and connect its people, cultures and markets,” said Kenya Airways Group managing director and CEO Allan Kilavuka.
Where will KQ cargo fleet fly to?
Kilavuka noted that KQ Cargo will deploy the freighter to Sharjah and Dubai World Central in the United Arab Emirates, Jeddah, and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Dakar in Senegal, Lagos in Nigeria, Ndjamena in Chad.
Other destinations will be Mogadishu in Somalia, Mumbai in India, Free Town in Sierra Leone, and Monrovia in Liberia.
The new aircraft offers 20 tons of cargo capacity with a range of up to 7 hours and joins the current KQ Cargo freighter fleet of one (1) Boeing 737-800 and two (2) Boeing 737-300 Freighters.
How KQ is solving its fleet challenges
In December 2023, Kenya Airways signed a lease agreement with the world’s leading airline specialists, Hi Fly, ahead of Christmas travel schedules.
The A330 Airbus arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to enhance fleet capacity after KQ grounded its aircraft for lack of spare parts.
CEO Kilavuka said the short-term plan will solve pertinent challenges in the market.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
