Kenya Airways, South African Airways in Consultation for a Pan-African Airline

Nairobi — Kenya and South Africa are in consultation to form a Pan-African airline to rival established players such as the Ethiopian Airlines and Emirates.

President William Ruto and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa said they were engaging on the matter at a high level that if successful will see Kenya Airways and South African Airways form a partnership.

Last year, former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ramaphosa planned to combine the two airlines' assets to form an African airline.

"On the matter of South Africa Airways and Kenya Airways, this was a subject of discussion between me and President Ramaphosa and our teams and we have agreed that that agreement should be progressed forwards it present an opportunity for both South Africa and Kenya to work together to build a Pan-African airline," President Ruto said at State Gouse Nairobi during a bilateral meeting with the South African Governemnt.

"We are committed to ensuring that the agreement that was signed between our two airlines goes forward and at the technical level there is a lot of work going on and we look forward to making sure that the agreement that was signed eventually brings about a Pan-African airline," Ramaphosa added.

Like KQ, SA Airways has been financial headwinds exacerbated by flight bans and closure of skies that saw airlines around the globe grounded due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In its half-year results, the national carrier posted a Sh11.5 billion compared to a similar period in 2021, attributed to increased revenues.

This article originally appeared on Capital FM

Photo: AFP