Kenya Airways targets fleet recovery and medical tourism expansion

Kenya Airways is implementing a multi-pronged diversification and recovery strategy to address fleet constraints and stabilize revenue. Acting Group Managing Director and CEO George Kamal stated that the airline aims to restore full aircraft capacity by the end of 2026, addressing current shortages caused by global scarcity of aircraft engines and spare parts. The carrier is targeting a fleet of over 60 aircraft within three years, maintaining an average age of under 10 years.

As part of a broader effort to reduce reliance on passenger flight revenue, the airline plans to transform its Pride Center facility near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport into an international hospital. By partnering with medical networks in Thailand and India, the carrier intends to capture the East African medical tourism market.

Additional strategic initiatives include expanding air freight services to support local agricultural supply chains, spinning off its Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) division into a standalone entity, and developing an airside transit hotel at the airport. These moves come as the airline faces rising operating costs driven by high fuel prices and geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East.