Passengers board KQ first post-lockdown flight to Mombasa on July 15 PHOTO | CITIZEN DIGITAL National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) is set to roll out contactless transactions from September 1.
This in view of enhancing customer and staff health and safety priorities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airline is encouraging its customers to use mobile money, credit or debit cards to make transaction at its JKIA hub, including purchasing tickets and paying for checked-in baggage.
“The aviation industry is increasingly adopting touchless technologies to keep passengers safe, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened the ability to transition to a contactless environment. For Kenya Airways, we aim to keep innovating and digitizing our processes to serve our customers faster and more efficiently to minimize future disruptions,” said KQ Acting Chief Commercial and Customer Experience Officer Julius Thairu.
“Alternative payment transactions are becoming increasingly popular across several touch-points within the airline industry. This process will reduce the complexity of work for our agents, who will no longer have to worry about handling cash, finding exact change, or closing out a cash drawer at the end of the day. This is positive news for our customers and our team members at the airport.”
KQ joins a queue of carriers integrating contactless transactions to their business with airlines across the globe making adjustments to fit operations in the middle of a pandemic.
Last year for instance, UAE based Etihad Airways became the first airline to trial new-contactless and self-service technologies.
Other airlines and hubs to make the switch have included AirAsia, India’s Bangalore International Airport Limited, Avalon Airport, America Airlines, Japan Airlines and Avinor.
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