Kenya Airways is celebrating two significant developments, having signed a new codeshare agreement with Air India and achieved approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASO) to perform maintenance services on European-registered aircraft.
In an extension of an existing interline partnership between Kenya Airways and Air India, the two carriers have confirmed that their new partnership is to go much further.
Announced on January 30, 2025, the new codeshare will give passengers the ease of using a single ticket, same-terminal connections, through-checked baggage and shorter layovers when travelling between Africa and India.
As part of the codeshare agreement, Air India will place its ‘AI’ designator code on twice daily flights between Nairobi and Mumbai operated by Kenya Airways.
This will connect passengers via Mumbai on Air India-operated flights to or from Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka, Malé, Melbourne, and Singapore.
The new agreement also enables Kenya Airways to place its ‘KQ’ designator code on Air India-operated flights between Delhi and Nairobi, thus enabling Kenya Airways passengers from across Africa to travel to Delhi via Nairobi.
Air India and Kenya Airways plan to add other destinations in their networks to the codeshare agreement in the future.
Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India: “Deepening our partnership with Kenya Airways aligns perfectly with Air India’s strategic vision of expanding our global footprint and strengthening our position in key markets. Our codeshare partnership will provide significant benefit to guests of both airlines and also contribute to the overall growth of air travel between India and Africa.”
EASA Part-145 Certification
Kenya Airways Aircraft Maintenance Organization (AMO) has also announced that the EASA has granted the company Part-145 Certification.
This authorizes Kenya Airways to perform heavy and light maintenance, as well as repairs and overhauls on certified components, for European-registered aircraft and other jurisdictions.
Part-145 application began in 2022 and involved addressing 415 compliance actions, including facility upgrades, staff recruitment, procedural updates, and equipment acquisitions.
During the event, our Group MD and CEO, @Kilavuka, highlighted how the accreditation is to open new business opportunities for the airline, allowing it to attract maintenance contracts from European operators and beyond and strategically position the airline as the go-to… pic.twitter.com/zbaHmNoalT
— Kenya Airways (@KenyaAirways) January 30, 2025
After a nine-month process Kenya Airways finally aligned with EASA standards successfully to offer Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services.
The certification enables Kenya Airways to carry out Base Maintenance on Embraer E190s and Boeing 737-700/800/900 aircraft and Light Maintenance on Boeing 787-8s, Embraer E190s, and Boeing 737-700/800/900 aircraft.
A spokesperson for Kenya Airways said: “With this accreditation, we now have the capability to expand our Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services, create new revenue streams, and strengthen our position as a leader in aircraft maintenance in Africa.”
