Kenya Airways received two new modern aircrafts with state-of-the-art features, bringing the number of its active aircraft to 40. The airline’s first next generation B737-800 touched down at Kenya Airways’ hub at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on October 19 while its sixth B787 Dreamliner landed on October 20 during the commemoration of Mashujaa Day.
Kenya Airways’ outgoing Group Managing Director and CEO Titus Naikuni said the delivery of the two airplanes was a continuation of the its ongoing fleet renewal programme.
“This year has seen tremendous growth in our fleet. This is the year we began adding our flagship aircraft, the modern Dreamliners, onto our fleet. This delivery marks a new chapter for us as we begin acquiring the newer model B737-800 to replace the existing ones. These new aircraft not only bring down the average age of our fleet significantly, but also boosts our capability. This will enable us to introduce new flights, besides increasing frequency on existing ones,” Dr Naikuni.
Mr Evans Mwaniki, Kenya Airways’ board of directors chairman who delivered the latest Dreamliner said: “I am excited to be witnessing this modernisation of the Kenya Airways’ fleet. This paves way for us to continue playing our strategic role of facilitating sustainable development in Africa by opening up the continent to the rest of the world and enabling connectivity among African countries”.
Kenya Airways expects one more B737 aircraft this year, in addition to three more B787 Dreamliners in 2015.
The B737-800 is the first of Kenya Airways’ such aircraft with Boeing Sky Interior. The airline expects four more. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft is the best-selling version of the successful Next-Generation 737 family. It is known for its reliability, fuel efficiency and economic performance.
