Kenya Airways registered 18 percent growth in passenger volume in its second quarter, aided by route expansion and greater flight frequency in Africa, it said on Thursday.
The airline, 26 percent owned by Air France-KLM , said passenger numbers rose to 1,004,476 in the three months from July to September.
The amount of cargo carried was up 13.5 percent at 16,021 tonnes, on improved conditions and increased sales.
Kenya Airways said in a statement new destinations launched in the second half of 2010 included Italy, Mozambique, and Malindi in Kenya, while Chad and Burkina Faso were launched in the first half of 2011.
It plans a rights issue to raise an unspecified amount of money for route and fleet expansion. The airline wants to double its fleet in the next five years to extend its network in Africa.
Passenger haulage within Kenya was up 42 percent to 202,826, while the rest of the continent excluding Kenya generated 14 percent growth to 509,570. Africa contributes about 60 percent of the airline's revenue.
Among the routes to see higher passenger numbers were Bamako, Dakar. The airline also introduced flights to Ouagadougou and N'Djamena, through Cotonou.
Europe registered an 11 percent increase in passenger numbers to 158,247, while volume to and from Middle East, the Far East and India rose 19 percent to 133,833.
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