Kenya Airways and Fly Emirates on Monday 12, June signed a partnership deal that will allow customers of both airlines access to new destinations on the two airlines’ networks within a single itinerary.
Customers using Emirates can now fly to 28 more destinations on Kenya Airways, largely inside African cities.
The destinations include Nampula, Bangui, Bujumbara, Kigali, Dzaoudzi, Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, Kilimanjaro, Juba, Zanzibar. Passengers destined to Mombasa will also be able to use a single itinerary and get connection through Kenya Airways.
On the other hand, passengers booked on Kenya Airways from Nairobi or Mombasa will now be able to access the Emirates’ network into the Middle East and Asia.
Travellers will be able to 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 at Fly Emirates said the partnership will enable the airline to exploit the opportunities in Africa while providing customers with more connection choices.
On his part, Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer at Kenya Airways said the partnership will provide a seamless connectivity between Africa, the Middle East and Asia and help mutual scaling and efficiency in the aviation industry.
Kenya recently launched direct flights between Momabasa and Dubai, with Kenya Airways doing 4 weekly flights from the coastal city. The airline does 10 weekly flights to UAE from JKIA, Nairobi using the B737-800 and the Dreamliner B787-800.
Emirates has 14 weekly flights to Kenya and is the only airline serving the country with private, enclosed First Class cabins.
A prize for flying loyalty
Meanwhile, Kenya Airways also launched the ASANTE REWARDS, a loyalty program to appreciate customer loyalty.
Beneficiaries will get greater value from their flying experience in form of redeemable points which can be earned from flights operated by Kenya Airways or any of its partners.
“This Loyalty Program is a perfect step towards turning around the fortunes of Kenya Airways in the promising journey of making it competitive in the global aviation sector”- Transport Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen
The Asante Rewards Loyalty Program will offer customers 4 tiers which they can grow into as they accrue their points. These are: Silver, Ruby, Gold, and Platinum, each offering unique benefits and privileges to ensure customers have a more rewarding experience.
“For 46 years, millions of customers have chosen us. Our customers have trusted us as their airline of choice. For 46 years, our customers have enabled us win multiple awards & recognition as the Pride of Africa. It is now time for Kenya Airways to say Asante in a special way.”
– Group MD and CEO, Allan Kilavuka.
