Kenya Airways Outlines Expansion Plan to Reach 100 Aircraft

Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced an aggressive long-term strategy aimed at expanding its operational fleet from the current 32 aircraft to 100 by the year 2035.

Speaking in Nairobi during the Kenya Travel Agents Engagement and Awards 2026 event, airline executives detailed a phased recovery and growth roadmap.

Under the initial phase of the plan, the carrier expects to reach 67 active aircraft by 2030, matching a projected growth in passenger traffic from 5.2 million to 9 million annually over the same period.

The development follows recent capacity adjustments at the airline, including the return to service of its 400-seat Boeing 777-300ER wide-body aircraft on July 17, 2026.

Reintroduced onto the Nairobi to London Heathrow route after a long absence, the aircraft provides expanded passenger seating and belly-hold cargo space during peak global travel seasons.

Addressing industry stakeholders, KQ Acting Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Captain George Kamal stated that commercial travel trade partners remain integral to sustaining the airline's future capacity growth.

"As Kenya Airways approaches our 50-year milestone, our future success will continue to be built through strong relationships and shared success with the travel trade," Captain Kamal said. He noted that travel agency partners currently handle roughly 60 percent of passenger revenue distribution for the airline.

The planned operational expansion relies on clearing maintenance backlogs across existing aircraft, including its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, while restoring network capacity out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

For aviation and infrastructure stakeholders in East Africa, the proposed scaling of KQ operations aligns with ongoing efforts to protect flight corridors, boost regional air freight, and maintain competitiveness against rival hubs across the continent.