National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) marks its 45th birthday, commemorating its inception in January 22nd 1977. Since then, the airline has grown to be Kenya’s key strategic national asset by enabling the movement of people and goods both regionally and globally. Positioning itself as a catalyst for the sustainable development of Africa, the airline’s aim is to enable a more interconnected Africa by expanding its routes, networks, and services. KQ currently flies to 41 destinations, 34 of which are in Africa. 

In celebration of its 45th anniversary, the airline will be offering its customers discounted flight fares for leisure, family, or business travel of up to 45% off. The offer will run from the 21st to the 23rd of January 2022 with an extended open travel period up to 30th November 2022. 

Allan Kilavuka, Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, “Our interest is to connect Africa as much as possible and to provide connections to destinations outside of Africa to encourage inter-regional trade. As we celebrate 45 years of flying, this anniversary provides us with the opportunity to reflect about what flying to a better future means for us as a business and for our customers. It also allows us to celebrate the milestones that we have achieved and to continuously exemplify that we are The Pride of Africa”. 

This celebration speaks to KQ’s focus on customer centricity that has enabled the airline to identify opportunities for innovation and diversification to build a resilient business that is committed to the socio-economic development of Africa. 

Over the years, the airline has diversified its interests to champion various causes in line with its mission to achieve sustainable development in Africa. To achieve this for example, the KQ Pharma facility has played a key role in the distribution of vaccines in Africa (including but not limited to the COVID-19 vaccine) and helped the region in its response, resilience and recovery. Wildlife conservation sits at the forefront of Fahari Aviation’s Strategy and in line with KQ’s Sustainability strategy. The use of drones and unmanned aircraft has proven feasible in many different fields of application. Through Fahari Aviation, the airline’s aim is to furnish new dimensions to the use of aerial counting and wildlife monitoring methods in a cost effective and efficient manner. 

“Giving our customers a delightful flying experience with a caring African touch has enabled us to find innovative ways to delight our guests throughout their customer journey. Celebrating 45 years cements our strong presence in the Global aviation industry and highlights the milestones that we have been able to achieve. As the ‘pride of Africa,’ we endeavour to be a forward-looking and sustainable business with a deliberate inclusive agenda of empowering, partnering and co-creating with the society around us,” said Julius Thairu, Ag. Chief Commercial and Customer Experience Office.