Kenya Airways has reported a dramatic shift in its mid-year performance, posting after tax loss of KES 12.17 billion (approx. USD 94 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2025. This contrasts sharply with a KES 513 million profit in the same period of 2024, marking a stark reversal in its fortunes.
The airline’s financial setback stems from a 19 percent decline in revenue, falling from KES 91.5 billion in H1-2024 to KES 74.5 billion in H1-2025. The KES 17 billion drop was largely driven by a 14 percent reduction in passenger numbers and a 16 percent cut in available seat capacity — a result of three Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners being grounded for maintenance.
This plunge marks the end of the previous year’s rare upturn: in full-year 2024, Kenya Airways achieved a pretax profit of KES 5.53 billion, the first such gain since 2013. That performance followed a KES 22.86 billion loss in 2023, underscoring how 2024’s recovery was only momentary.
CEO Allan Kilavuka reassured stakeholders that the current downturn is temporary. The airline has already restored one of the grounded aircraft in July, with the goal of returning the remaining fleet to service by next year.
To bolster its recovery, Kenya Airways plans to raise at least USD 500 million in new capital, aiming to secure shareholder approval and finalize funding by Q1 2026.
