Kenya Airways (KQ), the flag carrier airline, is focusing on its new business unit. Launched in July 2021, Kenya Airways’ Fahari Innovation Hub is a platform that brings together entrepreneurs and innovators to help accelerate the development of the aviation industry and tackle some of its current and future challenges.
Fahari Innovation Hub also known as Fahari Aviation is a subsidiary that offers Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technology Services to third parties. They position the services out in the market to grow an additional revenue line for the KQ group.
Group CEO and MD, Kenya Airways, Allan Kilavuka said in a press announcement, "While the pandemic came with extreme challenges for the aviation industry, it also brought along opportunities for new initiatives, one of them being the Fahari Innovation Hub. This not only enabled the presentation of new world-class ideas that became a part of the solutions to the challenges we faced but also brought together partners with whom we have worked together across the value chain in a bid to revive operations."
We spoke to Hawkins Musili, the general manager of Fahari Aviation as the new platform made some recent announcements on partnerships with some industry leaders. He further talks about the 2022 plans and how were the initial days for the new set-up.
"We recently signed an MOU with Skyport, a UK based drone operator, and they are mostly into light cargo logistics, using drones. And with where that technology is going we are seeing a lot of potential. As far as drone logistics is concerned, drones are getting the ability to carry heavy cargo over long ranges, which I think is what will enable beneficial commercialization of the drone technology in the logistics space," Musili added. We are currently offering light cargo logistics, in partnership with Skyport and other partners, to carry light loads of up to 10 kg and position them over a range of up to 200 kilometers.
Hawkins Musili, general manager, Fahari Aviation "So as one of our key business lines, we are currently offering light cargo logistics, of course, in partnership with Skyport and other partners, to carry light loads of up to 10 kilos and position them as per the client requests over a range of up to 200 kilometers. On the other hand, we are also working with drone manufacturers to look at concepts of heavy cargo drones that are coming into the market."
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