Pride of Africa eyes growth: Kenya Airways launches Gatwick route in line with Kifaru strategy
July 3, 2025
Kenya Airways officially launched direct flights from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to London Gatwick on 2 July.
The route, which will be operated three times a week, will complement the Kenyan carrier’s existing services to London Heathrow. The addition of Gatwick to its network increases Kenya Airways’ London frequency to 10 flights per week.
The new route isn’t just about flights, “it’s about growth, trade and deeper global connections,” said Allan Kilavuka, Kenya Airways’ group managing director and CEO.
His comments reinforced a recent report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) revealed that the aviation sector contributes around Ksh 425 billion to Kenya’s national GDP, representing 3.1% of the country’s economy and supporting around 460,000 jobs.
Kenya’s first female Dreamliner captain
The new route, operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, will be served on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays with flights departing the Kenyan capital at night. The flight was also a milestone for Captain Koki, Kenya’s first female Dreamliner captain, marking her inaugural journey to Gatwick as First Captain.
#KQLondonGatwick https://t.co/VxpS314qbN
— Kenya Airways (@KenyaAirways) July 3, 2025
A ceremony held in Nairobi to mark the departure of the highly anticipated inaugural flight KQ 108, was attended by various dignitaries, including Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Rebecca Miano, Secretary of State for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Teresia Mbaika, Caleb Kositany, Chairman of Kenya Airports Authority and Ed Barnett MBE, deputy high commissioner British High Commission.
According to Miano the Nairobi-Gatwick service will enable Kenya to boost visitor numbers and diversify its tourism products.
“These developments will deliver tangible benefits to our hoteliers, tour operators and entrepreneurs in the broader travel ecosystem across the country,” she said. “The ripple effects will be felt in employment, income generation and in the continued diversification of our tourism economy.”
Underlining that it’s not just Kenya that will benefit from the increased connectivity with the UK, Barnett said the new route will help “foster deeper bilateral ties and boost economic opportunities for both nations, making it even easier for people to travel, study and conduct business” in the two destinations.
Kenya’s “Kifaru” strategy
Once struggling under mounting debt and operational inefficiencies, Kenya Airways is now staging a comeback as it marks a new era of operational and financial resilience. In 2021, the airline implemented “Project Kifaru” – Swahili for rhinoceros symbolising resilience and strength – as a three-phase strategy. While the initial focus from 2020-2021 was on basic survival following the Covid-19 pandemic, this was followed by stabilisation and recovery from 2022 to 2023. From 2024 onwards, the airline has been focused on sustainable growth across both its fleet and network expansion, as well as greater participation in regional aviation initiatives and the pursuit of strategic equity investment.
In addition to new destinations, including Mogadishu and Maputo in recent years, the airline has also increased frequencies to key cities, such as New York, Paris and now London, as well as various domestic destinations. It has also leveraged growth in cargo, engineering and ground handling, which have all become core revenue lines for the Kenyan flag-carrier.
On 1 July, the airline also announced it has inked a deal with Qatar Airways to include a comprehensive codeshare agreement and increased flights between Kenya and Qatar Airways’ hub at Hamad International Airport in Doha.
“This partnership perfectly aligns with our airline’s robust turnaround strategy, which saw Kenya Airways’ return to profit for the first time in more than a decade earlier this year,” said Kilavuka.
Kenya’s latest deal with Qatar follows an agreement with Embraer earlier this year for collaborative inventory programming, as well as an Air India codeshare deal earlier this year.
