Rhetoric on the need for cooperation between airlines in Africa has never been in short supply, but action had been less forthcoming.
In the current aviation landscape, filled by the emergence of new markets, two of Africa’s biggest airlines, Kenya Airways and South African Airways, are looking to re-double their efforts to remain competitive.
On November 23, the two carriers inked a strategic partnership framework that would lead to co-starting a pan African airline group by 2023. Kenya Airways and SAA tie bonds with a strategic partnership
The signing could tailor towards a merger like that of Air France-KLM in 2004. Both Air France and KLM are members of the same SkyTeam airline alliance and rely on two major hubs, Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol respectively.
The partnership framework between Kenya and SAA follows the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) that the two airlines signed on September 28 to exchange knowledge, expertise, innovation, digital technologies, and best practice between the two airlines.
The signing of the Strategic Partnership Framework on Wednesday will see both airlines work together to increase passenger traffic, cargo opportunities, and general trade by taking advantage of strengths in South Africa, Kenya, and Africa.
It is expected that the partnership will also improve the financial viability of the two airlines. Customers will also benefit from more competitive price offerings for both passenger and cargo segments.
The signing of the agreement was
AVIATIONwitnessed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his South African host, President Cyril Ramaphosa on the second day of President Kenyatta’s three-day State visit to South Africa. The Strategic Partnership Framework was signed by Kenya Airlines’ Chairman Michael Joseph and SAA Chairman John Lamola in Johannesburg.
The framework aligns well with the aspirations of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) of providing a single market for goods and services, facilitated by the movement of persons and goods to deepen the economic integration and prosperity of the African continent. It also includes demand recovery and other cost containment strategies which will aid the recovery of both carriers in an increasingly competitive African airline environment.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Joseph said: “This cooperation aligns with Kenya Airways’ core purpose of ‘Contributing to the sustainable development of Africa’ and is based on mutual benefits. It will increase connectivity through passenger traffic, cargo opportunities, while enhancing the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).
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