Kenya Airways (KQ) continues its push for partnerships and is reactivating a codeshare with Royal Air Maroc (RAM). The two carriers put ink to paper on December 6, signing an agreement to resume a codeshare that collapsed in 2019. Kenya Airways and Royal Air Maroc renew codeshare.
The new agreement will give Royal Air Maroc passengers onward lift to Nairobi, Zanzibar, and Johannesburg on KQ’s network while Kenya Airways’ passengers will tap into RAM’s to reach Casablanca and Marrakech, and other destinations on RAM’s international network through its Casablanca hub. The codeshare will also ease connections between two of Africa’s financial centers – Nairobi and Johannesburg and the tourist paradises of Marrakech and Zanzibar.
“This partnership strengthens our connectivity to the East and South of the African continent, thanks to a long-standing reliable partner, Kenya Airways. It will enable our passengers to reach Nairobi and Johannesburg, two important economic and financial capitals, as well as Zanzibar, a popular tourist destination,” said Royal Air Marco chief executive and chairman Abdelhamid Addou.
Royal Air Maroc, alongside Kenya Airways, Air Mauritius, South African Airways, and Rwandair, were the initial signatories to an African airline alliance, conceived in 2018. But just a year after this and a few flights to Nairobi by Royal Air Maroc, the codeshare between the two airlines inexplicably collapsed.
Commenting on the return to a codeshare, Julius Thairu, KQ’s Chief Commercial and Customer Officer said: “We are very happy to see this partnership reactivated as it will provide our travelers with improved connectivity options between our two hubs, Nairobi and Casablanca. Our customers will be able to enjoy the financial center of Casablanca and the tourist destination of Marrakech.” Kenya Airways is working hard to recover from the pandemic.
Royal Air Maroc currently operates three weekly frequencies to Accra (Ghana) from Casablanca and will add three flights through its codeshare with KQ to Nairobi (Kenya) linking Accra to Johannesburg (South Africa) and Zanzibar (Tanzania).
KQ currently operates seven weekly flights between Nairobi and Accra, as part of an enhanced service that also offers onward fifth freedom access between Ghana and Senegal on two flights a week. This new partnership will enable it to offer three flights per week to Casablanca and Marrakech, via Accra.
Michael Wakabi
