British Airways Partners with Amadeus for Aviation Retailing Transformation.

Amadeus’ next-generation technology will deliver simplicity, agility and an improved customer experience.

The agreement is a milestone for the aviation industry on its path to modern retailing and the use of dynamic Offers and Orders

The agreement enables British Airways to deliver on its ambition to be at the forefront of retailing transformation.

British Airways has selected Amadeus as its technology partner and Amadeus Nevio, a new portfolio of modular solutions built on open and AI technology, to deliver the airline’s Offer and Order strategic goals.

The partnership will see British Airways and Amadeus collaborate on the design of Nevio’s Offer and Order capabilities, designed to meet the needs of modern airline retailers. Nevio’s Offer suite will facilitate more dynamic products and bundles, whilst Dynamic Offer Pricing is being rolled out to enable real-time contextual pricing options based on marketplace dynamics. A suite of Digital Experience tools will underpin a user-friendly booking experience and streamline servicing, including disruption, on any device or channel.

Working together these will produce highly relevant, personalized customer offers, and deliver a best-in-class retailing and servicing experience for customers.

Built around IATA Offer and Order principles, this totally new, open, modular platform benefits from the latest advances in AI and will help the carrier build demand, differentiate itself in the market and drive value across its entire business at speed.

Maher Koubaa, Executive Vice President Travel Unit and Managing Director EMEA, Amadeus, said: “We see Amadeus’ partnership with British Airways as truly transformative. We’ve been working closely with British Airways for more than 20 years and we’re delighted that the airline has once again agreed to be a driver customer to shape the future of the aviation industry. The milestone partnership unveiled today is a significant step in our journey to making modern retailing a reality, with the deployment of rich, dynamic, personalized offers and next-generation order management.”

Colm Lacy, British Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “At British Airways we are on a journey to become a world leader in airline retailing and transform our digital customer experience, all underpinned by our £7bn investment to transform our airline. Alongside our partners at Amadeus, British Airways will be able to collaborate on the design of the latest technology to enhance our business processes with greater agility, and help us anticipate the needs of modern, digital travelers, providing them with exceptional experiences across their journey.”

Amadeus’ partnership with British Airways showcases a commitment to support an ambition on the part of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to create a wholly Offer and Order based retailing environment by 2030. The open platform technology being developed by Amadeus enables the airline to be innovative in its approach to retailing and revenue opportunities and is designed to grow with the airline’s business ambitions.

Source:   Breaking Travel News

Qatar Airways Announces the Launch of Flights to Democratic Republic of Congo

Qatar Airways announces the latest expansion of its network to include Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), enabling greater frequencies and increased capacity to Luanda, Angola.

This latest network expansion  provides passengers with greater travel choices within a key region of Africa,  opening up a new entry point for international travel from Africa to China, Europe and the India Subcontinent using Doha, Qatar, as a gateway. The addition of Kinshasa increases the number of destinations in Africa served by the award-winning airline to twenty-nine.

Starting from the first of June 2024, Luanda will see a frequency increase from one weekly flight to four weekly flights with a combined service to Kinshasa which Qatar Airways will serve for the first time. For a world-class experience, the new route will be served by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, equipped with 22 Business Class seats and 232 Economy Class seats.

Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Thierry Antinori, said: “We have seen significant milestones in our 2024 network expansion and this latest addition is particularly special, as it continues our strategic goal of increasing our footprint in Africa.”

“The inclusion of Kinshasa in our network is the latest manifestation of our efforts to improve connectivity to Africa. Qatar Airways has showcased its commitment to the region by providing passengers in Africa with greater choice to explore different corners of the world through our network and our hub in Doha, Hamad International Airport.”

Source: Airspace-Africa.

Kenya Airways launches new Route to Maputo.

In response to growing demand for travel between East and Southern Africa, Kenya Airways (KQ) has launched a brand-new route connecting Nairobi directly to the vibrant city of Maputo, Mozambique.  This exciting expansion takes flight from 14th June 2024, further solidifying KQ’s commitment to strengthening its network and offering seamless travel experiences across the continent.

“The demand for air travel is soaring, and we’re determined to meet it by expanding our reach and fostering connections between Africa’s rich cultures and thriving economies,” says Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer at Kenya Airways. “The addition of Maputo to our network strengthens ties between Kenya and Mozambique, opening doors for increased trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.”

Beyond its designation as a major trade hub for southern Africa, Maputo enchants visitors with its rich tapestry of history and culture. Portuguese colonial influences are evident in the city’s architecture, while vibrant markets and a flourishing art scene offer a glimpse into contemporary Mozambican life.  Whether you seek relaxation on pristine beaches or exploration of fascinating museums, Maputo promises an unforgettable experience.

Starting 14th June, KQ will operate three flights per week to Maputo, with Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays becoming the flexible gateways to exploring this dynamic city.  Beyond Maputo, this expansion complements KQ’s broader network strategy for FY2024, which also boasts increased frequencies to popular destinations like New York, Paris, Lagos, Accra, and Freetown.

Source:   Airspace-Africa

AFRAA Secretary General highlights EU learnings at SAATM meet.

Abderahmane Berthé, Secretary General, African Airlines Association (AFRAA) intervened in a panel session during the Connecting Europe Days on the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) on lessons learnt from the air transport liberalisation in the European Union (EU) that can be useful for SAATM.

“The air transport market in Africa is relatively small, we have seen some protectionism attitudes aiming to protect national carriers,” said Berthé. “Of course, this is a wrong approach because, by nature, traffic rights are reciprocal. It is therefore critical to increase the market size and facilitate its access. “To achieve this, the following need to be addressed: *Affordability of air transport for African citizens: reduce the cost of operations and taxes and charges. *African economy growth: GDP per capita (only 15% of global GDP per capita).

Trade and tourism development: Intra-Africa trade is below 20 percent compared to more than 50% in other regions. Intra-Africa tourism is very small. In Africa when we talk about tourism, we are looking at tourism from non-African regions. *Facilitation of air travel through visa openness is also critical. 50 percent of African citizens need a visa to travel within Africa.

Airlines’ cooperation: commercial agreements and partnerships are essential to improve connectivity. AFRAA route network and cargo coordination is aimed at creating a forum for airlines to cooperate. Another success factor is airline consolidation. Over the past 18 years, the African continent has had the lowest level of market consolidation compared to the other regions in the globe.

The engagement of states, airlines and all the relevant stakeholders is necessary to effectively achieve the required outcomes on airline consolidation in Africa.” The session looked into SAATM as a key to open the door for aviation to play a major role in connecting Africa, promoting its social, economic and political integration and boosting intra-Africa trade and tourism. The event was organised by the European Commission together with the Belgian Presidency of the Council in Brussels.

Source: Logistics Update Africa

Air Cargo Demand Maintains Double-Digit Growth

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for February 2024 global air cargo markets showing continuing strong annual growth in demand.

•    Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), rose by 11.9% compared to February 2023 levels (12.4% for international operations). This is the third consecutive month of double-digit year-on-year demand growth.

•    Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTKs), increased by 13.4% compared to February 2023 (16.0% for international operations). This was largely related to the increase in international belly capacity accompanying growth in passenger markets (29.5% year-on-year increase), which far exceeded international capacity on freighters (3.2% year-on-year increase).

“February’s demand growth of 11.9% far outpaced the 0.9% expansion in cross-border trade. This strong start for 2024 could see demand surpass the exceptionally high levels of early 2022. It also shows air cargo’s strong resilience in the face of continuing political and economic uncertainties,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Several factors in the operating environment should be noted:

•    Global cross-border trade increased by 0.9% in January.

•    In February, the manufacturing output Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) climbed to 51.2, indicating expansion. The new export orders PMI also rose to 49.4, remaining slightly below the 50 threshold that would indicate growth.

•    February year-on-year inflation dropped to 2.8% in the EU while rising to 2.8% and 3.2% in Japan and the US respectively.  After four months of deflation, China reported a 0.7% increase in inflation year-on-year—a positive development amid concerns over China’s economic slowdown.

February Regional Performance

Asia-Pacific airlines saw 11.9% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in February. This was a significant decrease compared to January’s 24.3% year-on-year growth, likely related to slowing activity after the Lunar New Year celebrations. Capacity increased by 23.1% year-on-year as belly capacity came online with recovery in the passenger business.

North American carriers saw 4.2% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in February—the weakest among all regions. Demand on the North America–Europe trade lane grew by 5.2% year-on-year while Asia–North America grew by 3.9% year-on-year.  February capacity increased by 1.9% year-on-year.

European carriers saw 14.6% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in February. Intra-European air cargo rose by 24.5% year-on-year—the strongest performance in almost three years. Europe – Middle East routes saw demand grow by 39.3% year-on-year, while Europe – North America expanded by 5.2% year-on-year.  February capacity increased 13.2% year-on-year.

Middle Eastern carriers saw 20.9% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in February.  The Middle East–Europe market was the strongest performing with +39.3% growth, far ahead of Middle East-Asia which grew by 21.9% year-on-year. February capacity increased 16.2% year-on-year.

Latin American carriers saw 13.7% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in February.  Capacity increased 8.9% year-on-year.

African airlines saw 22.0% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in February—the strongest among all regions. The intra-Africa trade lane showed 42.3% year-on-year growth. February capacity increased by 28.2% year-on-year.

Source: Airspace-Africa.

African Airlines Show Impressive 20.7% Increase In Year-On-Year International Traffic

Airlines across Africa are reaping the rewards of increased demand, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reporting an increase of 20.7% in passenger traffic compared to this time last year. The collection of carriers includes, but is not limited to, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Egyptair, Royal Air Maroc, and Air Senegal.

African Airlines are surging forward with the expansion, which has seen capacity grow by 22.1% yearly, catapulting the continent’s aviation scene into a new realm. The growth has been expected as the world continues its post-pandemic thaw, and Africa’s numbers add to the 5.7% global increase in passenger numbers seen in February this year.

While demand and capacity are up, there is a slight increase in overall load factors across Africa, with a slight decrease in numbers seeing the region reach just 74%, a drop compared to the previous year.

Optimistic for the region

The ex-International Airlines Group boss and now IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh remains optimistic about travel across Africa. Walsh reiterates the positive momentum the region is seeing. Growth will be expected as more people look to travel, plus accelerated investment in airports and airlines and ‘resilient passenger demand’, as noted by Nairametrics.

Walsh did, however, clarify that the continued imposition of new taxes across Europe could be detrimental to growth not just in Africa but across the aviation industry and could lead to increases in airline ticket costs.

The numbers

Across Africa, domestic operations surpassed 13.7% growth compared to pre-pandemic levels, and between 2023 and 2024, there were 15% more operations. This was driven by strong demand over the Lunar New Year Period (however, it remains in the shadows compared to China during this time, which saw an increase of 31.5%).

When compared to February 2019, an increase of 0.9% was seen, with annual growth for international operations reaching over 26.3%. Operations towards Asia and the Pacific led the spike, with demand for travel between those regions and Africa witnessing demand surpassing 53.2%. For those destined for South America, growth between Africa and the likes of Sao Paulo contributed to a 21% increase in travel between the two continents.

Africa’s largest airline

Ethiopian Airlines maintains its status as the continent’s largest airline from its base at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD). As Simple Flying published in February, the carrier will operate up to 78 destinations across the African continent this year, adding Freetown, Sierra Leone, in May and Maun Botswana in June.

For international travelers heading towards North America, the carrier already serves up to 37 weekly flights between Ethiopia and the likes of Washington, Chicago, Toronto, Newark, Atlanta, and New York JFK. However, further growth is expected. Last November, the Ethiopian’s CCO disclosed that two additional North American destinations will be added “per year over the next few years.” He said Denver, Minneapolis, Seattle, Houston, and Montreal are coming.

Source:  Simple Flying  

Skyward Express opens new hub at JKIA

Skyward Express has opened a new hub at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as it steps up its quest to expand its services in the country.

The airline, which flies mainly from Wilson Airport in Nairobi, said Thursday that its JKIA base, which is operational effective today, will allow it to fly passengers to Mombasa and back.

The new hub will also offer an opportunity for international passengers landing at JKIA to connect to the coastal city via the airline.

“We have started operating flights to Mombasa from Terminal Two at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Mombasa effective today [Thursday],” said the airline’s general manager, Diana Nyambura, in an interview with the Business Daily.

“This strategic decision not only aligns with our commitment to providing enhanced connectivity to international travellers but also elevates our product offering to our dedicated clientele,” she said.

The airline has been flying passengers to Mombasa from its Wilson Airport base in Nairobi daily.

Ms Nyambura said the airline will carry passengers to Mombasa using a Fokker 100 jet aircraft.

The flight can carry up to 100 passengers and takes about 50 minutes from JKIA to Mombasa.

At its Wilson Airport hub, the airline will ferry passengers to Mombasa using a Dash 7 Q300 aircraft with a capacity of 50 passengers.

“The busy JKIA, a central aviation hub in East Africa, will now witness us enhancing our service offerings with a jet and the introduction of twice-daily flights to Mombasa (MBA), a route that promises to cater to business travellers commuting between the Port city and the Capital City of Nairobi,” she said.

Skyward Express flies out of Wilson with daily flights to Eldoret, Lodwar‚ Mombasa‚ Diani‚ Malindi and Lamu.

It also flies to Kakamega, Kitale and Migori in western Kenya.

Source: Business Daily Africa.

Lufthansa Sees Strong Demand Between Europe and Southern Africa and Will Continue Expanding.

The Lufthansa Group is ready for significant expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa this year with new routes and additional frequencies to its existing network. The group has witnessed increased post-pandemic demand to and from many African countries, prompting its expansion on the continent.

Last December, Lufthansa appointed René Koinzack as the new Senior Director of Sales for Southern and East Africa, Nigeria, and Equatorial Guinea. This is a new position that was created to oversee activities in those specific regions. While not covering all markets, he oversees about 23 African countries. Simple Flying first caught up with René Koinzack at the recent Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (BARSA) Summit.

Gearing up for Southern African expansion

The group aims to continue strengthening its presence in Africa while assessing growth potential in the Southern and Eastern regions, as well as in Nigeria. Last year, Lufthansa announced the resumption of direct flights between Munich (MUC) and Johannesburg (JNB) after 19 years. The route will see three weekly flights with the Airbus A350. As such, the group will have up to 33 weekly flights to South Africa.

Lufthansa and its subsidiaries, including Brussels Airlines, SWISS, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss, and Austrian Airlines, serve about 35 African destinations. In addition to the airlines, Lufthansa InTouch, Global Load Control (GLC), Lufthansa Cargo, and other business units run various operations around the continent, with over 1,000 employees in South Africa alone.

Strong demand in Southern and Eastern Africa

According to Koinzack, the resumption of Munich-Johannesburg flights is a testament to the positive trends Lufthansa is witnessing regarding travel to and from South Africa. The group has seen a strong rebound in business and leisure traffic from all over Europe. Last year, South Africa-Europe flights were even more popular, with the Rugby World Cup in France.

The group has also seen strong demand in other Southern African countries like Namibia, which is served by Discover Airlines. After launching five weekly flights from Frankfurt to Windhoek in 2021, this increased last summer to ten weekly departures, including the Frankfurt-Windhoek-Victoria Falls service. René Koinzack said to Simple Flying,

“There is a lot of development in our region. We see a strong interest in travel to Southern Africa from Europe. In South Africa, local demand for flights to Europe is also increasing, which gives us confidence in the market.”

The carrier is witnessing the same trends in East Africa, where it has been expanding its operations over the past years, with Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, and Mombasa as new destinations. Summer 2024 will also see the resumption of Brussels Airlines flights from Brussels (BRU) to Nairobi (NBO) after about nine years. On June 3, the Belgian carrier will start operating up to six weekly flights on the route, but this will be reduced to four weekly in winter.

With the start of the Nairobi operation, the group will also increase flights to Kigali (KGL), which will be served on a daily basis, from June. Brussels Airlines will be the first and only European carrier operating daily flights to Rwanda. The Lufthansa Group sees a lot of opportunities for further growth in Africa, and apart from the new routes starting this year, it will continue analyzing where to increase frequencies and observing market trends and opportunities.

Partnerships and Corporate Social Responsibility

Last year, Lufthansa also signed codeshare agreements with South African Airways and Airlink to give passengers access to more destinations in South Africa. Similarly, SAA and Airlink customers can easily book long-haul flights to Europe with Lufthansa and SWISS on a single itinerary. These partnerships have been very important for the German and Swiss carriers, as René Koinzack put it,

“Lufthansa Group has a long history of forming partnerships in the industry, so it is great to have these codeshares with Airlink and South African Airways to increase the portfolio for our travelers. While Johannesburg is nice, Southern Africa has a lot of diverse regional locations to offer. We want to grow our network for our customers to make it easier for them to travel, not only from Frankfurt, Zurich, and soon Munich to Johannesburg, but also within South Africa.”

In addition to its flight services, Lufthansa is also supporting several projects around the continent as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Help Alliance, a non-profit organization under the Lufthansa Group, is engaged worldwide in giving young people access to education and enabling them to lead a self-determined life.

The organization has just started a brand-new project, building a Chess school in Lagos, Nigeria, reaching kids living in difficult circumstances with education and support. Help Alliance is running other social projects in Tanzania and South Africa.

Source: Simple Flying.

Kenya Airways Returns to Profit With $80 Million Last Year.

Kenya’s national carrier recorded an operating profit of $80 million (Ksh10.53 billion) in 2023, its first since 2017. The airline saw several operational highlights last year, contributing to its improved performance. However, Kenya Airways still recorded a net loss due to the depreciation of the Kenyan Shilling (Ksh), among other factors.

287% growth in operating profit

The airline’s performance marked a significant milestone in its turnaround strategy as it continues to chart a return to financial sustainability. The $80 million profit recorded last year signifies a 287% growth compared to 2022, when it recorded an operating loss of $42.5 million (Ksh5.6 billion).

The airline managed to increase its revenue by 53%, ending the year at $1.3 billion (Ksh178 billion), primarily driven by increased capacity and higher passenger numbers. Speaking at an investor briefing, Kenya Airways Chairman Michael Joseph said,

“These figures highlight the airline’s remarkable performance over the year and provide encouraging signs of continued recovery within the air transportation sector. They also confirm the operational viability of the airline business and demonstrate that the management’s ongoing efforts to restore profitability are yielding positive results.”

Last year, the company saw total operating costs increase by 37% from $92.5 million (Ksh12.2 billion) in 2022 to $126.7 million (Ksh16.7 billion) in 2023 as it boosted operations to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the additional capacity, direct operating costs increased by 48%, while fleet costs were lower by 47.5%.

Nonetheless, the Kenyan national carrier remains in the loss territory after recording a pre-tax loss of Ksh 22.86 billion and a net loss of Ksh 22.69 billion. This is a remarkable 40.6% improvement from the previous year, when it recorded a net loss of Ksh 38.26 billion.

Moving forward with the turnaround strategy

Kenya Airways has been battling financial and operational challenges for several years, prompting the Kenyan government to pump more cash into the airline. Its last full-year operating profit came in 2017, when it recorded a profit of $11.3 million (Ksh1.5 billion). The following years were also very challenging, with the pandemic adding to the carrier’s problems.

However, the carrier saw more positive results in 2023 and achieved a few organizational highlights, including the resumption of some pre-pandemic routes, improved on-time performance, and launching an independent frequent flyer program. Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO Allan Kilavuka added,

“During the year, the company’s main focus remained on improving customer experience, operational excellence, and cash conservation. These efforts resulted in the airline improving its On-Time Performance (OTP) to a high of 76% from an average low of 58% at the beginning of the year, ranking it as Africa’s second most efficient airline.”

“Additionally, the introduction of the Asante rewards loyalty program and the revamp of KQ’s website aimed to better appreciate and reward customer loyalty while improving user-friendliness and functionality.”

The airline also increased its revenue by enhancing scheduled operations, passenger charters, partnerships, and cost containment measures. According to Kilavuka, Kenya Airways is now focused on taking advantage of the gains achieved in its turnaround strategy – Project Kifaru. It will work on completing the capital restructuring plan, which aims to reduce the carrier’s financial leverage and increase liquidity to ensure normalized operations.

Kenya Airways operations over the past year

Kenya Airways started 2023 with a fleet of 32 aircraft. While it has not significantly enhanced its fleet, it introduced an Airbus A330 in December to enhance capacity during the peak season. The widebody aircraft is wet-leased from Hi Fly and has mainly been operating flights from Nairobi (NBO) to Dubai (DXB) and Johannesburg (JNB) since early 2024.

Last December, the airline resumed regular scheduled flights to Bangkok (BKK) after a three-year COVID hiatus. It had earlier increased its Nairobi-London service to a record twice daily, as well as boosting its Nairobi-New York schedule. This year, the carrier plans to add four new destinations, with Eldoret and Maputo already launched, as well as increasing frequencies to a number of destinations, including New York, Accra, Freetown, and Paris.

In June 2023, Kenya Airways launched Asante Rewards, its own loyalty program, which has reportedly seen a great response from customers. It previously rewarded frequent flyers through Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue. Additionally, the SkyTeam carrier is moving forward with its partnership strategy, which was largely restored in 2022. Last year, it signed an interline agreement with Emirates and later expanded its codeshare agreement with Delta Air Lines. Within the first quarter of 2024, the Nairobi-based carrier has announced codeshares with Air Europa, Vietnam Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic.

Source:  Simple Flying.

Togo and Austria ink direct flight agreement between their capitals.

Togo First) – Austrian Airlines can now serve Lomé directly. Last Thursday, March 14, Togo and Austria signed an agreement to this end. The deal was signed in Lomé, by the Togolese Minister of Transport, Affoh Atcha-Dedji, and the Austrian Ambassador to Togo, Thomas Schlesinger.

Commenting on the deal, Idrissou Ahabout, Managing Director of the National Agency for Civil Aviation of Togo (ANAC), said: “This agreement enables companies like Asky and Ethiopian Airlines to offer direct flights to Austria, from Lomé. It also opens the way for all investors who want to connect Lomé to Vienna to initiate the processes.”

The agreement integrates environmental protection, security, and travelers’ safety.

It will contribute to the government’s ambition to make the airport of Lomé (AIGE) a regional hub.

In October 2022, Asky Airlines, the Lomé-based pan-African airline, opened new flight routes. As a result, the number of passengers at AIGE soared above 630,000 people in the first half of 2023.

It is worth noting that the airport hopes its passenger traffic will reach 1.5 million heads by 2025.

Source: Togo First.