Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/52019
KENYA AIRWAYS TO DOUBLE FLEET SIZE IN FIVE YEARS KenyaAirways plans to double its fleet in the next five years as part of a 10-year plan aimed at extending its network to every The airline, 26 percent owned by Air France-KLM, aims to connect allAfrican travelers to the rest of the world through its African nation, its chief executive said recently. Nairobi hub. "Our strategy has been to grow inAfrica, try and get in all capital cities inAfrica and also increase frequencies...We are look- ing at doubling our fleet in the next five years,"TitusNaikuni told a news conference. KenyaAirways,which is one of the largest carriers inAfrica, along with EthiopianAirlines and SouthAfricanAirways, oper- ates a fleet of around 27 planes,made up of Boeing aircraft and seven Embraer jets. Naikuni spoke after signing a confirmation dealwithBrazil'sEmbraer for 10E-190 jets,due for delivery between July next year and 2013. The deal was first announced during the ParisAirshow this year,whenKenyaAirways offered a letter of intent. The Brazilian planemaker has seen steady growth in orders fromAfrican carriers,which demand a smaller optimumcapacity of 70-120 passengers per plane. The value of the deal betweenKenyaAirways and Embraer,which has sold 149 planes to 47 operators in 19African countries thus far,was not disclosed. KenyaAirways signed a deal for the purchase of nine 787-8Dreamliner planeswithBoeing inApril this year to replace its age- ing fleet and expand routes and flight frequencies. It is in the process of seeking regulatory approval to raise capital to fund the acquisition of the new planes. KenyaAirways,"The Pride ofAfrica," has positioned itself as a key driver in the development of transport links acrossAfrica. The airline seeks to be the carrier of choice on the continent, connecting variousAfrican cities and linkingAfrica to the world through the airlines hub in Nairobi. Kenya Airways commenced flights to its 54th global destination, Ndjamena, Chad, in September. AboutKenyaAirways: KenyaAirways is the flag carrier ofKenya established in 1977 and headquartered at JomoKenyatta InternationalAirport.Part of the SkyTeamAlliance, the airline operates to over 46 scheduled destinations throughoutAfrica,Europe, Indian subcontinent andAsia. KenyaAirways Equipment: TheKenyaAirways fleet is composed of fourBoeing 777-200Ers, sixBoeing 767-300Ers, fiveBoeing 737-800s, fourBoeing 737- 700s, five Boeing 737-300s and six Embraer E17LRs...30 aircraft in total. KenyaAirwaysRouteOverview: Kenya Airways is based in Nairobi, Kenya and operates scheduled service to: Africa: Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Antananarivo, Bamako, Bangui, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Cairo, Cotonou, Dakar, Dar-es-Salaam, Djibouti, Douala, Dzaoudzi, Entebbe, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Kinshasa, Lagos, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, Luanda, Mahe, Malabo, Monrovia, Moroni, Ndola, N'djamena, Ouagadougou,Yaounde, Zanzibar. Far East,Asia,Middle East: Bangkok,Dubai,Guangzhou,Hong Kong,Mumbai, Muscat. Europe: Amsterdam, Paris, London, Rome. Domestic: Kisumu, Mombasa, Malindi, Nairobi (HUB). Black Meetings & Tourism November/December 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 83