Kenya Airways has announced discounted ticket prices of up to 30 per cent across most of its routes.
The move is part of the national carrier’s recovery strategy, having taken a hit to its bottom-line as the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the aviation industry.
The offer is available for customers who pay before September 24, 2021 up to March 31, 2022.
Several international routes will be part of the new promotion, as well as domestic destinations Kisumu and Mombasa. Flights not included in the promotion include Johannesburg to Dubai and those from its Nairobi hub to Guangzhou, Dar es Salaam, Juba, Freetown and Dubai.
“At Kenya Airways, we hold customer centricity at the heart of our sustainable business operations by providing our customers with exciting offers that meet their needs in real time,” stated KQ Chief Commercial Officer Julius Thairu.
Kenya Airways posted a Sh11.486 billion loss after tax in the six month period ended June 2021, a slight improvement from the same period last year when the national carrier posted a Sh14.4 billion loss.
After shuttering flights due to travel restrictions at the height of the pandemic last year, it resumed domestic flights in July 2020 and international flights in August of the same year.
In its financial statements for H1 2021, KQ highlighted that its focus for the rest of 2021 would be on “ensuring survival and rebound”.
“The industry view is that recovery from this pandemic will take time. Aviation experts predict that evolving customer behaviour will continue to suppress passenger numbers until 2024, where full recovery to 2019 levels is forecasted. Therefore, the market will continue to witness overcapacity and airlines, including Kenya Airways, will need to develop models that will support better utilisation of assets and resources,” observed Board Chair Michael Joseph.
The airline has long been criticised for having comparatively higher ticket prices, a move that might have inspired the discounted fares.
Other opportunities pursued by KQ to raise revenues in the wake of low demand in the passenger business include charters and enhanced cargo operations.
