KQ leases aircraft to operate during festive season
Kenya Airways (KQ) has leased an aircraft on a short-term deal from Hi Fly in a bid to plug the demand during the peak festive season.
In a statement, KQ confirmed the lease saying it will see the immediate introduction of an A330 Airbus into the KQ fleet to support operational efficiency as well as enhance capacity in the market.
KQ Group Managing Director and CEO Allan Kilavuka said that the airline needed to take practical steps in the short term to address the pertinent challenges in the market.
“With the current capacity constraints on the back of the growing demand for airline travel, we need to balance our customers' immediate needs by bringing more capacity into the market,” Kilavuka said.
KQ reduced fleet
This comes at a time when the carrier is grappling with a reduced fleet, which has been attributed to difficulties in acquiring spare parts.
According to Kilavuka, this was the quickest way to immediately deal with capacity challenges because it would enable the national carrier to get an aircraft that is ready to fly.
“With the arrival of the aircraft, we expect to see improved operational stability and efficiency, as well as enhanced capacity for the convenience of our passengers,” Kilavuka added.
The aircraft has a capacity for 299 passengers, split into 24 in the business cabin and 275 in the economy class.
