Etihad and Kenya Airways sign partnership deal

Etihad Airways is to expand significantly its reach across Africa, following a commercial partnership agreement signed with Kenya Airways, the national flag carrier of Kenya.
Etihad Airways will place its EY code on Kenya Airways flights from Nairobi to 27 destinations across the Kenyan airline’s network in Africa.
As part of the reciprocal codeshare agreement, Kenya Airways will place its KQ code on Etihad Airways’ daily service from Nairobi to Abu Dhabi and, subject to government approval, onward to up to 32 key destinations across Etihad’s global network.
Kenya Airways will also launch a new three times a week service between Nairobi and Abu Dhabi from this mid-summer.
The agreement paves the way for greater collaboration between the airlines on the joint procurement of services for ground handling, line and heavy maintenance, training and cargo operations.
The new codeshare with Kenya Airways will complement Etihad’s existing scheduled service between Nairobi to Abu Dhabi, which provides passengers with connections over its hub in the UAE to destinations across North Asia, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and Australia.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways president and CEO , said: “The partnership agreement with Kenya Airways is in line with our strategy of forming alliances with airlines around the world to enhance our network and marketing reach. This agreement will also allow both airlines to benefit from cost savings achieved through synergies and economies of scale.
Titus Naikuni, MD and CEO, Kenya Airways, said: “The new codeshare partnership with Etihad Airways is a significant strengthening of the global network of both airlines, which provides more choice to all our passengers. As part of the agreement, we are looking for greater collaboration and coordination on cargo operations, training and procurement opportunities that will make us more cost-efficient and customer-responsive.”