►► KENYA: Etihad Airways, Kenya Airways sign partnership deal; KQ to launch 3x weekly Abu Dhabi flights from July.

[UPDATE 29 MARCH] Etihad Airways(EY), has signed a strategic commercial partnership agreement with Kenya Airways (KQ), which will see Etihad Airways placing its EY code on Kenya Airways flights while Kenya Airways will place its KQ code on Etihad Airways’ daily service from Nairobi to Abu Dhabi and, subject to government approval, onto Etihad various other routes.

► ZAMBIA: Kenya Airways to operate Harare via Livingstone flights from June 'til October.

Kenya Airways (KQ) will launch 3x weekly Nairobi, Kenya to Livingstone Zambia and on to Harare, Zimbabwe flights effective 2 June until 25 October. The route will operate with an Embraer E190 jet.

►► KENYA: Kenya Airways to adjust Thailand, China, India, Dubai, Hong Kong ops from late March.

[UPDATE 14 FEBRUARY] AirlineRoute reports that as per the 06FEB13 GDS timetable and inventory display, Kenya Airways (KQ) is to adjust its operations to Thailand, China, India, Dubai, and Hong Kong.

■ KENYA: Kenya Airways releases its Operations Report for Q3 2012 (October - December).

Kenya Airways (KQ) today released its Operations Report for the Third Quarter of 2012; October to 31st December 2012.

► KENYA: Kenya Airways to seek compensation over possible 787 delivery delays.

Kenya Airways (KQ) will seek compensation from Boeing regarding any possible delays in the production of its nine Boeing 787s, the first of which is due later this year, the Kenyan carrier has said in a press release.

■ KENYA: Hunt on for new Kenya Airways' Commercial Director after Mohan Chandra's contract is not renewed.

Kenya Airways (KQ) has appointed its Head of Network Planning, Jimmy Kebati, as its interim Commercial Director, after previous director, Mohan Chandra's contract was not renewed upon its expiration on 18 January.

► INDIA: Kenya Airways swaps 767 for 737-700 on some Mumbai flights starting 16 January.

Effective 16 January 2013, Kenya Airways(KQ) is temporarily adjusting capacity on its Nairobi – Mumbai, India service. Three of the 10 weekly flights (KQ204/205) are to switch from the Boeing 767-300ER to the Boeing 737-700. 

■ KENYA: (Pics) A Look at Lamu's Manda Airstrip's old and new facilities set for completion in May 2013.

Construction works at Manda Airstrip, located on Manda Island in the Lamu Archipelago in eastern Kenya, are progressing with completion expected in May of this year. The upgraded 2'000m long runway and new terminal will allow tourists to fly directly to Lamu from their respective countries. At present, tourists arriving on international flights have to clear customs and immigration formalities at either Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, or Mombasa, or Malindi before flying into Lamu as a domestic flight.

► SUDAN: Kenya Airways B737-700 suffers engine failure after take off, returns to Khartoum; no casualties.

A Kenya Airways Boeing 737-700 (MSN 32371 | 5Y-KQG) operating flight KQ320 bound for Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday 1 January 2013, was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after take off from Khartoum International Airport, Sudan, following an engine failure. No casualties have been reported.

► RWANDA: RwandAir, Kenya Airways to enter into strategic partnership.

Kenya Airways (KQ) and Rwandan national carrier, RwandAir (WB), are on the cusp of the of forming a strategic partnership with aims of fostering stronger relations in the areas of cargo, maintenance and flight training between the two airlines. 

► ZAMBIA: Ethiopian Airlines to start Ndola ops from March 2013 as Kenya Airways adds direct Saturday flight.

Zambia's third largest city, Ndola, is to see an increase in its regional connectivity with Ethiopian Airlines (ET) set to launch 3x weekly Boeing 737-700 flights to the Copperbelt from 31 March 2013, whilst competitor, Kenya Airways (KQ), is to introduce a once weekly Embrarer E190 Nairobi – Ndola terminator service, also effective 31 March 2013.

■ ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines shoots down Kenya Airways mega-merger idea as SAA now sets sights on dominating the African market.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has, for want of a better term, "shot down" a proposal by Kenya Airways' (KQ) outgoing CEO Titus Naikuni regarding a possible mega-merger between Ethiopian, Kenya Airways and South African Airways, as being impractical.

► CHINA: Kenya Airways signs codeshare deal with China Eastern Airlines.

China Eastern Airlines (MU), China's second biggest carrier by market value, and Kenya Airways (KQ), the flag carrier of Kenya, have signed a code.share deal which will see cooperation on MU's China - Thailand route and KQ's Thailand - Kenya routes, effective 1 December 2012.

■ KENYA: Reinstated workers reject Kenya Airways' "compulsory leave" directive; threaten to sue Naikuni and airline if not properly reinstated.

The 455 reinstated Kenya Airways (KQ) staff, whose claims of unfair dismissal were yesterday vindicated by an industrial court in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, today rejected a directive by the Kenyan carrier to send them all on compulsory paid leave until further notice.

■ KENYA: Court orders Kenya Airways to reinstate 455 axed employees effective immediately.

An industrial court in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has ordered Kenya Airways (KQ) to reinstate some 450 employees, effective immediately, who were laid off in August/September as part of spending-cuts at the carrier.

► CHAD: Kenya Airways rumoured to have dropped Ndjamena flights citing high taxes, poor loads.

Reports out of Chad claim that numerous passengers have been left stranded in the Chadian capital Ndjamena after Kenya Airways (KQ) "suddenly" dropped its Nairobi - Ndjamena route. In corroboration, reservation system Amadeus shows no flights available either now, or in the future, though no official confirmation has yet been heard from the Kenyan national carrier itself.

■ KENYA: Embraer to open an Authorized Service Facility in Nairobi with Kenya Airways in 2013.

Embraer, the Brazilian regional aircraft manufacturer, has set its sights on Nairobi, Kenya and partner Kenya Airways (KQ) as a potential base for its first Authorized Aircraft Service Facility (AASF) in Africa to be opened in early 2013.

► VIETNAM: Kenya Airways, Vietnam Airlines sign code share deal.

Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced the signing of a code share agreement with Vietnam Airlines (VN) that will see the Kenyan carrier expanding its footprint in the South East Asian market. Recently, KQ signed a similar code share deal with Korean Air (KE) and Saudia(SV).

■ KENYA: Kenya Airways issues profit warning after taking $55million hit.

Kenya Airways (KQ) has posted its unaudited, consolidated results for H1 (First Half) of its 2012/2013 Financial Year ending 30 September 2012 with a net loss of USD55.2million (KES4.788billion) being declared.

■ KENYA: Kenya Airways releases its Operations Report for Q2 2012 (July - September).

Kenya Airways (KQ) today released its Operations Report for the Second Quarter of 2012 ending 30 September 2012.