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

Dubai, UAE, and Nairobi, Kenya, 12TH June 2023 - Emirates and Kenya Airways (KQ) have 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 with increased travel options as well as seamless baggage check-in to their final destination. 

Emirates customers 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, Bujumbara, Kigali, Dzaoudzi, Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, Kilimanjaro, Juba, Zanzibar, among many other regional points across Africa. Additionally, as part of a bilateral interline arrangement, Emirates passengers travelling 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 travelling 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 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 Africa network, and this new interline agreement will enhance connectivity for Emirates’ customers and provide them 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 to 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, that 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. 

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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 sky” awards for 17 consecutive years. Emirates is committed to environmentally-responsible operations and focusses 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 of wide body Boeing aircrafts, this includes its flagship B787 Dreamliner and narrow body Embraer E190 aircrafts. 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: OfficialKenyaAirways