Kenya Airways on Friday, February 7, held strategic discussions with key government stakeholders to facilitate the seamless adoption of the ‘Fly Kenya’ policy for government travel. This engagement follows the airline’s recent launch of an exclusive hub designed to serve government officials using Kenya Airways for official trips.
Strengthening Partnerships for Government Travel
The airline’s initiative aims to enhance collaboration, build capacity for government travel agents, develop innovative solutions for policy adoption, and create mechanisms for integrating the policy within government agencies.
“Today’s engagement reflects our shared commitment to the success of ‘Fly Kenya,’” noted Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer at Kenya Airways.
“Our goal is to position Kenya Airways as the go-to partner for government travel management. To achieve this, we remain dedicated to enhancing our services, providing efficient air travel solutions, and strengthening our partnership with the Government of Kenya.”
Addressing Compliance Challenges
Since its introduction in 2016, the ‘Fly Kenya’ policy—which mandates government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to prioritize the national carrier—has faced challenges due to weak enforcement mechanisms.
To address this, Kenya Airways is integrating the Foreign Travel Management Information System (FOTIMS) to enhance transparency, efficiency, and compliance.
Government’s Commitment to Policy Implementation
Speaking at the gathering, Arthur Osiya, Chief of Staff of the Public Service Commission (PSC), emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring smooth policy integration.
“We are committed to working closely with Kenya Airways to streamline processes and ensure seamless integration of the air travel policy,” he stated.
“Fly Kenya positions the airline as a key enabler of efficient government service delivery, ensuring government officials have access to enhanced and affordable travel solutions.”
Strengthening Kenya Airways’ Financial Sustainability
The ‘Fly Kenya’ policy is part of the government’s broader strategy to support the national carrier, boost financial sustainability, promote national pride in the aviation industry, and enhance Kenya’s global connectivity.
Demonstrating its dedication to this initiative, Kenya Airways launched the Asante Executive Hub at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in September 2024. This hub provides customized travel solutions for government officials, including flexible booking options, competitive fares, priority ticketing, and dedicated customer support.
Enhancing Economic Growth Through Policy Adoption
Kenya Airways continues to engage with government agencies to ensure effective policy implementation, enhance compliance, and strengthen collaboration.
With improved tracking, reporting, and government endorsement, the policy is expected to boost the national carrier’s growth while supporting Kenya’s broader economic development goals.
