Kenya Airways is advocating for a more Pan African approach to the business which requires more partnerships and collaboration among African airlines because the national carriers stand to benefit more from cooperation rather than competition.

Julius Thairu, the airline’s Chief Commercial and Customer Officer said in a media release shared with The Independent on Nov.22, that the partnership should incorporate as many African airlines as possible including Uganda Airlines.

“Our recent experience with industrial action by pilots taught us that we will benefit more from collaboration because it is African airlines that came to our rescue,” he said.

He said, players should compete on two fronts: customer experience and efficiency.

In July this year, Kenya Airways and South African Airways (SAA) signed a codeshare agreement to deepen commercial ties.

The airlines announced a planned partnership in September 2021 and finalized the agreement two months later. The framework seeks to increase passenger traffic, cargo opportunities and trade.

The new codeshare arrangement covers services to Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Durban, Entebbe, Harare, Kisumu, Mombasa and Nairobi, effective immediately.

The airlines plan to expand the partnership to Douala, Juba, Kilimanjaro, Lusaka and Zanzibar, subject to government approval. It will also add destinations in Ghana and Nigeria.

Thairu said, the strike which had hit the airline, affected 10,000 travelers across the world including Uganda, had been resolved and both parties are now required to follow the laid down process of resolving disputes.

“We have fully recovered and we are flying consistently, 3-4 daily flights on time to Entebbe and we are hoping to increase these as the demand rises especially during the festive season,” he said.