Kenya Airways and SAA enter partnership with aim to create pan-African airline group

Kenya Airways and South African Airways (SAA) signed (28-Sep-2021) a memorandum of cooperation with a long term view to create a pan-African airline group. The proposed group is intended to "enhance mutual growth potential by taking advantage of strengths of the two airlines' busy hubs". The airlines aim to cooperate in areas including networks, fleets, capacity deployment, economic opportunities, technical areas and MRO to achieve economies of scale. The carriers will also collaborate on joint pandemic recovery strategies and cost containment. The agreement does not exclude either airline from pursuing commercial cooperation with other carriers. Kenya Airways Group MD and CEO Allan Kilavuka stated: "The future of aviation and its long term sustenance is hinged on partnership and collaboration". He said the partnership "will enhance customer benefits by availing a larger combined passenger and cargo network, fostering the exchange of expertise, innovation, best practices, and adopting home grown organic solutions to technical and operational challenges". SAA interim CEO Thomas Kgokolo commented: "It's through a strategic understanding like this that real progress will be made in advancing South Africa and the continent's growth". [more - original PR] [more - original PR - II]