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KQ inks deal with Jambojet to boost market share

jambo

Jambojet last year reported a net profit of Sh57 million for the first six months ending September. PHOTO | FILE

Kenya Airways has signed a codeshare agreement with its low cost subsidiary Jambojet for local routes in a bid to strengthen its share of the local market.

The national carrier announced Monday that it would put the ‘KQ’ designator code on the Jambojet flights to Malindi, Lamu, Ukunda (Diani) and Eldoret, allowing Kenya Airways to sell the Jambojet network to passengers coming from across the world. The deal will free the national carrier to focus its domestic operations on Mombasa and Kisumu.

“Without a doubt the agreement will contribute to our growth as a low-cost carrier and with the increased number of flights, we will further improve our service offering to our customers travelling to the South,” said Jambojet CEO Willem Hondius.

In a notice by Kenya Airways to its country managers and sales offices, the carrier had last week temporarily suspended sales for flights to Malindi ahead of public announcement of the deal.

“To allow the transition, additional sales on KQ flights is temporarily on hold,” read the notice. Booking to Malindi are to be done via the Jambojet website or offices.

“The sales which resumed Monday will allow international customers flying the carrier to access the codeshare routes on KQ via Nairobi.

“Point to point sales will only be processed by the operating carrier Jambojet. The process of client allocation onto Jambojet flights has started and will be processed centrally from KQ-contact centre.”

The move comes at a time when the low cost carrier was confined to local routes only after Kenya Civil Avaition Authority failed to issue it a licence to operate international scheduled flights in the region.

READ: Jambojet confined to local routes

According to Kenya Airports Authority, there has been growth in the number of local passengers which has been attributed to the high demand of flight services in Eldoret, Kisumu and Nairobi. This growth has been spurred by the introduction of budget airline Jambojet.

Jambojet last year reported a net profit of Sh57 million for the first six months ending September, compared to a loss of Sh237 million during the same period in 2014.

However, Kenya Airways has been in a financial landmine, posting a Sh26.2 billion loss for the year ended March.