KQ in train deal to shore up European passengers

National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) has partnered with a train ticketing company, giving the airline's Europe-bound customers access to cities and towns that may not have airports but are connected by train stations.

AccesRail will provide connectivity in the UK to 48 train stations from London Heathrow Airport, and the Netherlands to Belgium (Brussels and Antwerp) from Schiphol Airport. This is in addition to over 27 train stations in Italy from Rome Fiumicino Airport.

Kenya Airways chief commercial officer Ursula Silling said KQ tickets will be used by its travellers to board connecting trains operated by AccesRail.

“Customers will now have the ability to buy an air ticket and connect to a train service in the UK and the Schengen Area,” she said.

Ms Silling said a significant number of KQ passenger traffic is from Europe. The airline is targeting to increase passenger numbers on European routes in its efforts to grow revenue and turn around the business. She noted that Europe has been traditionally a key source market for tourists coming to Africa.

The move is also aimed at attracting tourists and business flyers heading to Africa via JKIA.

AccesRail business development vice president Andrew Popescu said the deal enhances KQ’s brand as a global traveller with seamless links between Europe and Africa.

“We are determined to help the airline gain network expansion opportunities at no real cost, network consolidation opportunities with minimum passenger loss, to give better service to existing customers, to offer better load factor at a lower cost and to assist KQ maintain a strong competitive position in Europe,” he said.