Kenya Airways, Safarilink Launch Partnership To Facilitate Access To 18 Famous Destinations

Kenya Airways PLC (NSE: KQ) and Safarilink Aviation (F2), Kenya’s premier safari airline have signed a one-way codeshare agreement to open up Kenya to global travelers by selling Safarilink’s direct flights to the best safari and unique beach destinations within Kenya and Tanzania.

This codeshare agreement means that KQ will sell 18 remote Safarilink destinations in their global sales and distribution network, enabling them to combine their travel experience between respective international destinations and 18 remote destinations within Kenya and Tanzania that Safarilink operates.

During the signing of the partnership, Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer Sebastian Mikosz said, “As part of our strategy to continue growing the network, we have seen the need to give travel ease to our customers by connecting their destinations.

This partnership will also significantly open up Kenya’s tourist destinations to international travelers by allowing tour operators and travel agencies to create unique holiday packages connecting from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (KJIA) to Wilson Airport and eventually to their respective safari destinations, which is a great convenience to them.”

The partnership will see KQ place its codeshare flight numbers on the Safarilink flights so that customers from international destinations can book their full safari experience directly via KQ holidays or via tour operators and travel agents.

It will provide daily scheduled flights that will provide convenient access to the eleven airstrips in Maasai Mara and direct flights to Amboseli, Samburu, Lamu, Zanzibar, Ukunda, Vipingo, Kilimanjaro, Tsavo, Lodwar, Kitale, Lake Naivasha, Laikipia, Lewa downs, Olpajeta, Loisaba, Nanyuki and, Mt. Kenya, avoiding long and cumbersome road transport.

Also commenting on the codeshare agreement, Safarilink Aviation Chief Executive Officer Alex Avedi said, “We are very pleased to be entering into this significant partnership with KQ which will provide seamless connection of passengers from the KQ network straight into Kenya and Tanzania’s world-famous parks. We are delighted that KQ chose us on account of our commitment to safety and quality.”

This codeshare agreement came on the same day as Kenya Airways marked its first-anniversary celebratory flight to New York. KQ’s other international destinations include Bangkok, Dubai, Guangzhou, Mumbai, Amsterdam, London, Geneva, Rome, and Paris.

Over 1.3 million people toured Kenya through JKIA in 2018 with Kenya Airways being responsible for 60 percent of overall traffic at the airport.

Sales will effectively start in the course of the coming weeks before November 30, 2019.