By Mohammed AWAL ([email protected])
Kenyan Airways (KQ) has expressed interest in collaborating with Ghana to establish its national carrier.
Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer, Allan Kilavuka, states that Ghanaian authorities are aware of the East African carrier’s interest in aiding the revival of the country’s national carrier. Such a collaboration could lead to improved connectivity and economic growth in the region, he added.
“I can tell you that there have been discussions with the Ghanaian authorities on how we can support not just aviation in Ghana, but how it is also possible for us to support the revival of national carrier,” he stated while answering a question from the B&FT on the subject during a news conference in Accra. “This discussion happened quite some time back before COVID.
“We have not progressed our discussion, but what we recommend or what we prefer is collaboration to the point that whether or not this national carrier is going to be revived, it should be revived with the close cooperation with other carriers and we are very, very interested in working hand in glove with the government of Ghana in that regard,” Mr. Kilavuka added.
He further explained that although they have not yet resumed discussions specifically targeting the establishment of the national carrier, Kenya’s national carrier aims to increase its involvement in the travel markets in Ghana and West Africa as a whole.
“It is now our interest as Africans to develop our own industry. We cannot sit and wait for others to come and do it for us because when they do come, they don’t do it for us. They will do it for them. So, we must do what is good for Africa,” Mr. Kilavuka stated.
Ghana, recognised for its robust economic growth and growing prominence globally despite current economic challenges, has been striving to strengthen its aviation sector.
Establishing a national carrier has been a pivotal part of the country’s aviation development strategy, with goals to enhance connectivity, boost tourism and facilitate trade and investment.
He stated that the potential collaboration between Kenya Airways and Ghana would mark a significant step forward in Africa’s aviation industry development.
He explained that by partnering, these two nations could establish a world-class airline that not only meets the needs of their citizens, but also fosters economic growth and prosperity throughout the region.
Mr. Kilavuka’s visit to Ghana follows visits by Kenyan President William Ruto earlier this month and officials from the Kenyan Tourism Board in February. In partnership with Kenya Airways (KQ), they led a consortium of over 15 travel trade companies for in-market activations aimed at boosting intra-Africa trade.
“So, the purpose of our visit here is therefore to continue to cement the relationship that we have in this market and also to identify areas where we can support this market more and where we have opportunities for the growth of this market,” Mr. Kilavuka said.
The Ghana market, which serves as KQ’s West Africa hub, he said, played a crucial role in the company’s exceptional performance last year.
“This is a very critical market for us. And last year, we hit some key milestones. For the first time in seven years, we recorded operating profit as an airline, which is a clear signal to the market that we are turning around.
“In addition that, we recorded the highest revenue number in the history of the company and the highest number of passengers in the history of the company, including being voted the second most efficient airline in Africa,” he said.
He concluded that KQ is anticipating a 20 percent growth in revenue this year.
