No Excuse For Govt Officials After Kenya Airways Opens Special Hub At KICC

Pressure could soon increase for government officials to use national airline Kenya Airways for their domestic and international travels following KQ's launch of an exclusive hub set to serve them, with the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi picked as the perfect location for the new hub.

A press release sent to Viral Tea on Monday, September 23 revealed that the Asante Executive Hub is a first-of-its-kind government travel centre designed to offer one-stop travel solutions for government and private sector executive travellers.

Additionally, it offers a comprehensive range of travel options including ticketing and customer care while prioritising convenience, safety, and efficiency at the highest standards. 

At the launch event, Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO Allan Kilavuka reaffirmed the airline's unwavering commitment to excellence.

Transport PS Mohammed Dhagar and Principal Administrative Secretary for Public Service, Arthur Osiya join in Kenya Airways' launch of the Asante Executive Hub, an innovative travel centre designed specifically for government officials, at KICC in Nairobi. /KENYA AIRWAYS

He stated, “The Asante Executive Hub is a testament to our dedication to delivering specialized and high-quality services to our government clientele. This hub positions us as the go-to partner for government travel management, bolstering our commitment to  excellence and fostering a closer partnership with Government officials.” 

Strategically nestled within KICC, The Asante Executive Hub is perfectly positioned to cater to international travellers attending global conferences and events.

KICC is located in close proximity to a series of government buildings ranging from City Hall to Parliament to offices housing the National Treasury, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Offices of both the Deputy President and the President.

Kenya Airways noted that this prime location not only enhances the convenience for its esteemed guests but also solidifies KQ’s pivotal role in the executive and government travel space.

Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer at Kenya Airways stated, “As part of our customer centricity, we are pioneering innovations and setting new benchmarks for customer satisfaction and loyalty within the travel industry.

"We continuously explore innovative ways to enhance our services and create lasting customer value that aligns with our long-term growth strategy to drive our market expansion efforts, particularly within the government and executive travel sectors," he revealed.

In the coming months, The Asante Executive Hub will transition into a fully accredited International Air Transport Association (IATA) Billing and Settlement (BSP) Plan entity. This transition will allow Kenya Airways to offer expanded services, including ticketing services for other airlines, executive charter services, and advanced online travel management.  

Kilavuka in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the hub's launch revealed that the airline handles around 50 percent of the government's air travel and that raising this share to 80 percent would boost the airline's operations by a huge margin.

He disclosed that some countries have laws that compel government officers to fly with the flag carriers of their respective nations, calling for Kenya to adopt a similar approach (correction to earlier news graphic shared on our socials). “If the government were to fly with us exclusively, we would see a significant increase in volume."

"In Kenya, we have a democratic system, so there are a few exceptions. However, we believe the practice of using KQ for official travel should be more deeply entrenched,” Kilavuka said.

In turn, Principal Administrative Secretary (PAS) Arthur Osiya encouraged KQ to be more aggressive in expanding its market share, hinting that the airline may need to step up its marketing efforts. 

The hub is set to make it easy for government officials to access it whenever they are planning to travel. However, it is likely to entice members of the public to demand that government officials use the national airline more often for their trips to destinations covered by KQ as compared to using alternative airlines.

Significant uproar that began towards the tail end of May regarding President William Ruto's use of a chartered luxurious jet to the United States (US), and his justification of doing so despite KQ operating a direct flight to the US, forced him to turn to the national carrier more often.

Since saying on his X account that "As a responsible steward of public resources and in keeping with my determination for us to live within our means and that I should lead from the front in so doing, the cost was less than travelling on KQ," he has used KQ for trips to Haiti, New York in US and China.