South African Airways, Kenya Airways Sign Codeshare Agreement

African airline passengers now have more options and destinations to choose from, thanks to a new codeshare agreement signed between the South African and Kenyan national carriers.

The agreement, inked in November last year, allows travellers to combine flight segments and baggage on a single ticket. Each airline can sell flights operated by the other using their own flight codes. Passengers on the new codeshare flights can still earn Voyager Miles and enjoy optional lounge access.

SAA passengers benefit from having a greater choice of African destinations, including Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Mombasa, Entebbe and Kisumu, while Kenya Airways will service more routes in Southern Africa, including Cape Town, Durban and Harare.

The handshake is seen as a positive development as global tourism begins to recover after the COVID pandemic. This not only benefits passengers but also gives rise to new cargo and general trade opportunities on the continent.

The latest announcement follows a special prorate agreement signed earlier this year.

“We are looking forward to introducing Kenya Airways customers to our award-winning service, and to working closely with Kenya Airways as our partnership will improve the connections between our respective networks,” said South African Airways interim CEO, Prof John Lamola.

Kenya Airways CEO and Group MD, Allan Kilavuka, expressed satisfaction with the agreement. “We believe the additional destinations will offer better customer journey thanks to the number of frequencies and connections created as well as many opportunities for trade and tourism”, said Kilavuka.

Meanwhile, the carriers are expected to announce further codeshare destinations following an evaluation process. These will reportedly include Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Juba, Douala and Lusaka, with destinations in Ghana and Nigeria also on the radar.