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A brief history of KQ Airlines
KQ, also known as Kenya Airways, is the flag carrier airline of Kenya. Founded in January 1977 after the dissolution of East African Airways, the airline is headquartered at Embakasi, Nairobi. Its key air hub is situated at the newly upgraded Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, from where the airline flies to over 60 regional and international destinations. As of 2017, it is considered to be one of the leading sub-Saharan airlines.
KQ is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, and its frequent flier programme integrates with Flying Blue, the flight miles programme of stakeholder KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
The airline (IATA: KQ) declared revenues of KSh 116 million for the 2016 financial year, with an operating income of KSh 4,093 million and a profit of KSh 26,099. The airline’s total assets were valued at KSh 158 million for the same fiscal year.
As at the beginning of 2017, the airline employed over 3,900 full time staff members across its international operations, flying under the slogan “The Pride Of Africa”.
A livery change in 2005 saw the airline move away from the abbreviated KA airlines naming convention to KQ, reflecting the airline’s IATA call code and public usage conventions.
The airline is majority owned by the Kenyan Government, and boasts a fleet of 37 modern aircraft. The airline was privatized in 1966, a move which is widely credited as one of the key drivers to its commercial success on the continent and beyond. It was the first African carrier to successfully privatise, and currently operates as a public-private partnership enterprise.
The Kenyan Government owns a majority share of 29.8%, while Air France-KLM owns 26.73%. The rest of the shares are owned by private investors, with its shares tradeable on the stock exchanges of Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and the Ugandan Securities Exchange.
Key flight routes and destinations
As of the beginning of 2017, KQ flies to around 62 international destinations. Key target cities in Africa include Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Cairo in Egypt, Lusaka in Zambia, Harare in Zimbabwe as well as Kisumu, Malindi, Mombasa and Mumias in Kenya. Internationally, the airline flies to Athens in Greece, Bombay in India, London in the UK, Jeddah in the UAE and Frankfurt in Germany.
Additional focus cities include Kampala, Karachi, Port Louis in Mauritius, Rome in Italy, Khartoum and Zurich, to name but a few.
The 2017 fleet
As of April 2017, the KQ fleet consists of 37 aircraft, including 4 Boeing 737-700s, 2 Boeing 737-300Fs, 8 Boeing 737-800s and 8 Boeing 787-8s.
KQ Baggage allowance
| PREMIER WORLD | ECONOMY |
| Intra Africa 2 and Rest of Africa(Excluding East African Destinations) | 2 pieces of luggage, not exceeding 32kg per piece | 2 pieces of luggage, not exceeding 23kg per piece |
| Domestic | 1 piece of luggage not exceeding 32kg | 1 piece of luggage, not exceeding 23kg |
| Marine/seamen/military (for any routing) | 2 pieces of luggage, not exceeding 32kg per piece | 2 pieces of luggage, not exceeding 23kg per piece |
| Sky Team Elite plus & Elite(Platinum, Gold and Silver card holders) | 1 EXTRA piece of luggage with a maximum weight of 32kg | 1 EXTRA piece of luggage with a maximum weight of 23kg |
| JNB-AMS/LON/PAR | 2 pieces of lugagge not exceeding a maximum weight of 32kg each | 1 piece of luggage |
| AFRICA-America/Europe | 2 pieces of luggage not exceeding 32kgeach |
| |
| AFRICA-Middle East/Asia | 2 pieces of luggage not exceeding 32kg per piece | 2 pieces of luggage not exceeding 23kg per piece | |
| East African Destinations & 5th Freedom sectors) | 2 pieces of luggage not exceeding 32kg per piece | 1 piece of luggage not weighing more than 23kgd |
Online check in
Passengers travelling aboard a KQ flight to Europe or the USA can check in online from 30 hours up to 2.5 hours ahead of their flight’s departure here.
Doing so allows you to view and book or change your seats ahead of arrival at the airport. If you are not sure how to check in online yourself, check out the airlines’ Check In Demo here.
Cabin classes
Kenya Airways offers travellers a choice between Business and Economy classes. You can find out more about the KQ Business Class cabin offering here.
Codeshare agreements
As of the end of 2016, KQ had codesharing agreements in place with Air Burkina, Air France, KLM, Air Mauritius, Air Namibia, Comair in South Africa, Etihad Airways, Jet Airways, LAM Mozambique, TAAG Angola Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Royal Air Maroc and Saudia, to name but a few. Previous fleet models included the Airbus A310 ranges, as well as several Boeing 707, 737, 747, 757 and 767 aircraft models.
2017 Flight specials
Keep an eye on this site or our Facebook page for the latest KQ specials, or subscribe to our specials newsletter to get the best deals direct to your mailbox first.
KQ in the news
KQ has recently hired a new CEO, http://atwonline.com/people/kenya-airways-announces-new-ceo introduced flights to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and opened a Cargo Centre at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Booking your own KQ flights online
Use the above flight comparison engine to get the very best KQ airfares online, or to book directly with the airline, visit www.kenya-airways.com – NOT www.kenya-airways.co.ke or flykenya.co.ke.
Contact KQ airlines in Kenya
Head Office Address: Airport North Road, Embakasi
P.O. Box: 19002 – 00501 Nairobi, Kenya
Telephone: The KQ contact centre now operates 24/7, 365. Simply call +254 (0) 20 327 4747 for general enquiries, bookings, flight information and flying Blue enquiries. You can also reach the airline at:
- Safaricom: +254 (0) 711 02 2000
- Airtel: +254-0734-10-2000
Web: For more information or additional contact details, visit www.kenya-airways.com – NOT www.kenyaairways.com, flykenya.com or www.kq.com.