Kenya Airways & Air India Partner So That Passengers Can Fly To Over 40 Destinations

Kenya Airways and Air India on Thursday, January 31 entered a new codeshare partnership that will offer both passengers travelling from Kenya and India a range of options in terms of popular destinations in Africa and around the world.

India’s leading global carrier, and the leading African carrier, entered the partnership, reaffirming their commitment to boosting seamless travel between India and Africa, and beyond. The codeshare partnership complements the existing interline agreement between the two carriers.

"The codeshare and interline partnerships together allow passengers of both airlines to enjoy convenient access to a wider range of destinations across regions, leveraging a single ticket and a unified baggage policy for a hassle-free travel experience," stated Air India in a joint press release.

As part of the codeshare agreement, Air India will place its ‘AI’ designator code on twice daily flights between Nairobi and Mumbai operated by Kenya Airways, which will seamlessly connect passengers via Mumbai on Air India-operated flights to or from Bangkok (Thailand), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Malé (The Maldives), Melbourne (Australia), and Singapore.

In addition to existing connections, passengers from Nairobi can take to several other destinations within and outside of India via Delhi when flying from Nairobi to Delhi with Air India.

The new agreement also enables Kenya Airways to place its ‘KQ’ designator code on Air India-operated flights between Delhi and Nairobi, thus enabling Kenya Airways passengers from across Africa to travel to Delhi via Nairobi.

This codeshare means that travellers can enjoy the benefits of a single ticket and a unified baggage policy, ensuring a hassle-free and efficient travel experience.

“Deepening our partnership with Kenya Airways aligns perfectly with Air India’s strategic vision of expanding our global footprint and strengthening our position in key markets”, said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India. 

“Our codeshare partnership will provide significant benefits to guests of both airlines and contribute to the overall growth of air travel between India and Africa.”

The interline agreement between Air India and Kenya Airways enables passengers to seamlessly travel on a single itinerary between any of 28 points in Africa, including Accra, Addis Ababa, Dar Es Salaam, Harare, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Seychelles, Kilimanjaro, Mombasa, and Zanzibar to name a few.

Furthermore, passengers can travel on one ticket to any of 15 points in India such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, and Hyderabad to name a few.

“We are delighted to expand our partnership with Air India, which will open up significant opportunities for our passengers. This codeshare agreement allows us to offer seamless connections to a wider range of destinations across both airlines’ networks, making travel easier and more convenient,” remarked Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer at Kenya Airways.

Air India and Kenya Airways plan to progressively add other destinations in their networks to the codeshare agreement. The codeshare flights are available for booking through Air India’s and Kenya Airways’ respective booking channels and travel agents. 

Code sharing is a partnership between two airlines that allows an airline to place its two-letter identification code on the flight schedules of another airline. This means that flights can be marketed by one airline and operated by another.

As a business arrangement between airlines, a codeshare can help expand into markets where they might not be as well known, extend their network coverage for a greater global reach and ultimately offer more opportunities to increase profits by selling tickets on more flights.

Simply put, code sharing allows airlines to sell tickets to destinations they do not fly to. These agreements allow airlines to offer numerous flights without additional equipment, resources, and costs.

Code sharing also provides passengers with a wide choice of flights and also makes booking, checking in, luggage handling, and travelling more convenient. Plus, the coordinated schedules make sure you have enough time for all your connections.

Passengers queuing outside a terminal at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi. /FILE