By a Correspondent
Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways, has awarded its top-performing travel agency partners at the Kenya Travel Agents Engagement & Awards 2026 events in Nairobi against the backdrop of the airline’s most significant capacity expansion in a decade.
Kenya Airways plans to grow its fleet from a total of 32 aircraft today to 67 by 2030, and 100 by 2035, supported by the increase of the carrier’s passenger numbers projected to reach 9 million by 2030, up from 5.2 million today.
The expansion follows the return of the airline’s Boeing 777, a 400-seat wide-body, to the fleet on 17 July 2026 after a decade’s absence, with the aircraft now flying between Nairobi and London Heathrow.
The 2025 awards, spanning 35 categories, honoured travel agents who demonstrated outstanding performance across revenue contribution, market share, regional sales and growth over the 2025 calendar year, recognising both the airline’s largest partners by volume and the agencies that grew fastest year-on year. Speaking at the Kenya Travel Agents Engagement & Awards 2026 in Nairobi, Captain George Kamal, Ag. Group Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Airways, emphasized the central role of travel agents in the airline’s growth and transformation agenda.
“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. Travel trade partners are our largest distribution channel in Kenya, contributing approximately 60 percent of our passenger revenue, and we see our growth and yours as one journey,” said Captain Kamal.
BCD Travel Limited (trading as Highlight Travel) was named Top Revenue Contributor 2025, with Hemingways Travel and Satguru Tours & Travel Limited placed 1st and 2nd runner-up respectively for revenue contribution. Incentive Travel Limited was recognised as Top Travel Marketing Company by Market Share, while Elite Travel Services took the Corporate Revenue Leader award. Ramani Travel Solution Limited was named the year’s most improved partner by revenue growth, with Blueberry Voyage Limited placed second in that category.
Winners across the remaining categories spanned across South Sudan, NDC bookings, and the Asia-Pacific, European Union, MEGI, domestic, ECAF, leisure, groups, MICE, government, coastal and western regional segments. Julius Thairu, Kenya Airways’ Chief Commercial and Customer Officer emphasised the airline’s commitment to strengthening partnership, improving distribution tools and co-creating value with the travel trade.
“Our relationship with the travel trade is built on trust, consistency, and a shared commitment to growing the market in ways that benefit our customers, our business, and the wider economy. This event is a statement of intent that we value your contribution, and we are committed to growing with you in a way that is practical, respectful, and commercially meaningful,” said Thairu.
Travel agents connect customers to Kenya Airways’ expanding network across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas, extended further through codeshare and interline partners including Qatar Airways and SkyTeam. The Travel Trade Awards forms part of Kenya Airways’ broader strategy to strengthen its distribution network and grow market share as it rebuilds capacity following a period of heavy scheduled maintenance across its Dreamliner fleet.
