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ALLAN KILAVUKA – GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO KENYA AIRWAYS PLC
In the dynamic and often turbulent world of aviation, resilience, vision, and adaptability are the cornerstones of sustainable leadership. Over the past year, Kenya Airways (KQ) has undergone one of its most transformative phases, a journey marked by a return to profitability, operational excellence, and renewed commitment to regional integration. This experience has reaffirmed a timeless truth: when people unite around a clear mission, transformation becomes possible.
For me, leadership has always been about purpose, to transform KQ from a struggling legacy carrier into a modern, sustainable, and profitable African airline. But more importantly, to create value not just for shareholders, but for the millions of people whose livelihoods depend on our network, from farmers exporting perishables to entrepreneurs trading goods and families connecting across continents.
In 2024, Kenya Airways recorded a KSh 5.4 billion profit after tax, its first annual profit in over a decade and the highest in the company’s history. This milestone symbolized the culmination of disciplined restructuring, cost optimization, and commercial reorientation. This turnaround was not by chance. It was the result of deliberate, data-driven decisions and an unwavering focus on efficiency, customer experience, and partnerships.
We strengthened our route network, restructured our debt, and enhanced operational reliability. The result was strong revenue growth driven by increased passenger numbers, higher yields, and a resilient cargo business. For the first time since 2013, KQ proved that it could once again be a viable, self-sustaining airline.
The success of 2024 was immediately tested by unforeseen industry headwinds in 2025. For the first half of the year ended June 30, 2025, Kenya Airways reported a net loss of KSh 12.15 billion, a sharp reversal of the profit recorded a year earlier. This significant swing was directly attributed to severe operational constraints, primarily a global shortage of essential aircraft spare parts.
Central to this was the temporary grounding of three of our nine Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which constituted approximately one-third of our wide-body fleet. These aircrafts, vital for our long-haul and most profitable routes, were forced out of service due to delays in sourcing critical components, particularly engines awaiting overhaul. This global supply chain disruption, a challenge faced by many airlines significantly reduced our Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs), cutting capacity by over 16% and directly impacting revenue. This experience underscores a crucial reality: our financial stability remains closely tied to the resilience of the global maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) ecosystem.
We acted decisively, working to restore grounded aircraft, negotiating with lessors and manufacturers, and launching a USD 500 million capital-raise initiative to support long-term fleet renewal. This is not just about aircraft replacement; it is about ensuring reliability, reducing costs, lowering emissions, and positioning Nairobi as a competitive African aviation hub.
Despite these constraints, we expanded frequencies on high-demand routes such as London, Amsterdam, and Dubai, and strengthened intra-African connectivity, linking secondary cities through Nairobi. These strategic moves support trade, tourism, and regional integration. But we are guided by a principle: capacity only matters when it matches market demand and operational reliability. It’s not enough to fly more, we must serve better.
In 2025, Kenya Airways became the first airline in Africa to launch a standalone, externally assured Sustainability Report, covering the financial year ending December 2024. The report, which details our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments, reflects our ambition to lead Africa in sustainable aviation. From reducing waste and lowering emissions to promoting diversity and ethical governance, the report demonstrates our accountability to employees, customers, and the continent at large. We continue embedding ESG principles across all operations.
The aviation business thrives on collaboration. One of the defining milestones of this year has been our deepening partnerships. The Memorandum of Understanding with Qatar Airways remains a standout, a strategic bridge linking East Africa to the world through enhanced connectivity, codeshare opportunities, cargo cooperation, MRO synergies, and loyalty programmes.
While financial results tell one story, recognition tells another, the story of people, culture, and impact. Over the past year, Kenya Airways received several prestigious awards that underscore our progress and renewed spirit of excellence:
- Top Employer of the Year 2025 — acknowledging our workplace culture, career development, and people-first philosophy.
- Africa’s Leading Airline 2025, Africa’s Leading Airline – Business Class 2025, Africa’s Leading Airline Brand 2025, and Africa’s Leading In-flight Magazine (Msafiri) — at the 2025 World Travel Awards.
- I was humbled to receive the 2024 African Aviation Leadership Award, which I dedicated to the Kenya Airways family.
These accolades are not our destination; they are markers of momentum, proof that our strategy is working and that our people are our greatest competitive advantage.
Leadership, in my view, must always be guided by integrity and a sense of service. When we faced operational challenges in early 2025 due to grounded aircraft and supply chain disruptions, I chose transparency over concealment.
We communicated openly about our fleet recovery plans and capital-raising efforts. Such candor not only builds trust with stakeholders but also reinforces the principle that leadership is not about perfection, it is about accountability.
Kenya Airways continues to play a vital role in connecting Africa, to itself and to the world. Our network links landlocked countries to international trade routes, supports intra-African tourism, and fuels business travel that drives economic growth.
The economic ripple effect of aviation in Kenya clearly demonstrates how KQ’s operations matter beyond the tarmac. According to a study by International Air Transport Association (IATA), the aviation sector in Kenya generates about KSh 425 billion (USD 3.3 billion) of economic activity, roughly 3.1% of Kenya’s GDP, and supports approximately 460,000 jobs.
Meanwhile, KQ’s cargo operations grew by nearly 25% in 2024, reaching 70,776 tonnes, a clear reflection of how air freight enables trade, connects regions and helps exporters access global markets.
These numbers underline how every seat we fill, every ton of cargo we uplift contributes not only to our airline’s bottom line, but to jobs, business growth and regional integration across sub-Saharan Africa. Every new route, every partnership, and every ton of cargo moved helps bring the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) vision closer to reality. Aviation remains the bloodstream of Africa’s economic transformation and KQ is proud to be one of its main arteries.
One of my personal missions is advocating for a united African aviation industry. As Chairperson of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), I continue to champion the consolidation of African carrier, a necessary step to overcome fragmentation and make air travel within the continent more accessible and affordable.
We must collaborate to compete, align our fleets, share infrastructure, and coordinate network planning. This is essential for realizing the potential of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and for deepening sub-Saharan Africa’s economic integration.
As we look ahead, 2026 is a year of acceleration, finalizing our capital raise, completing fleet restoration, deepening digital innovation, and expanding cargo and MRO operations. Our purpose remains constant: to connect people, inspire progress, and contribute meaningfully to Africa’s growth.
Borderless leadership is about courage, empathy, and collaboration. It’s about understanding that Kenya Airways’ success is intertwined with Africa’s story. Every flight we operate carries opportunity, connects dreams, and brings our continent closer together.
Together, we are not just rebuilding an airline. We are redefining what African leadership looks like in a truly borderless world.
