- From Nairobi, Air France-KLM will serve Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Djibouti, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana markets.
- Kenya has long been acknowledged as the primary business centre of East Africa – Air France-KLM’s Marius van der Ham.
- Kenya is primary business centre of East Africa, boasting a stable and dynamic business environment. The country offers world-class talent, and excellent connectivity across Africa.
A streamlined organization in terms of product offering, great customer service, world-class talent and airport experience saw Air France-KLM pick Nairobi as its new Africa headquarters.
The move is part of the airline’s strategic plans to bolster its network and enhance services across Africa. From Nairobi, Air France-KLM will serve eight markets, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Djibouti, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana.
Air France-KLM’s regional manager for East and Southern Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria Marius van der Ham said: “We believe there is more potential to be grabbed, especially here in Kenya.”
According to Marius, Africa is currently the fifth-largest region in Air France KLM’s network of 12 regional operations. The continent is trailing the airline’s North America, Greater China, Korea, and Japan markets.
Customer service and airport experience
“It made sense to bundle the strength of the different countries by creating a regional office in Nairobi which has become a centre of excellence to align our Air France-KLM policies and processes for this region and support the local teams for their specific requirements. For our customers, the new office has the benefit of a streamlined organization in terms of product offering, customer service and airport experience,” Senior Vice President of Long-Haul at Air France-KLM Zoran Jelkic said.
The Nairobi office is on Merchant Square, Riverside Drive, and will serve East and Southern Africa, and Nigeria markets. Marius van der Ham, who is the Group’s General Manager (GM), will head Nairobi hub.
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“This move is a testament to the Group’s unwavering commitment to the region and its drive to deliver unparalleled services. Kenya has long been acknowledged as the primary business centre of East Africa, boasting a stable and dynamic business environment, excellent connectivity across the continent, and a wealth of talent to support our strategy.”
Travelers will access a variety of services from the new office, including ticketing, sales, and customer service. Additionally, customers can obtain details about the group’s goods and services, such as the Flying Blue reward program. Customers will also tap into benefits of Air France-KLM alliances with other airlines.
Growing demand for air travel in Africa
Additionally, it will help Air France-KLM better meet the region’s rising demand for aviation travel. Currently, the carrier offers flights to a number of cities in East Africa, including Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
“Africa is a region with abundant resources, talent, and potential, and we are excited to be part of its growth story. Therefore, we see this new office as a crucial step towards firming our footprint in this region. It is a key priority within our network. For a start, we have expanded in East Africa by increasing our frequency, and secondly by opening Dar es Salaam for Air France in combination with Zanzibar. This is in addition to our already established network of KLM flights into Uganda and Rwanda,” said Marius van der Ham.
Nairobi will link the region to the rest of the world through the Group’s hubs in Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. It will help give consumers more options and flexibility for their global travel preferences.
“The opening of the Africa Regional Headquarters signify the confidence that the airline has in Kenya and the great future that lies ahead for our aviation sector,” said Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.
As a Ministry, we will continue to provide airlines with the necessary infrastructure, policy framework, incentives and a conducive business environment to operate seamlessly and profitably, added Murkomen.
Air France-KLM Nairobi-Europe flights frequency
Rising demand for air travel has seen Air France-KLM increase its capacity on Nairobi-Europe flights by 14% in 2023. Before the pandemic, Air France-KLM operated one daily trip to Amsterdam and five weekly flights to Paris. Currently, the airline operates two daily flights from Nairobi to Amsterdam and Paris.
Although there are many prospects for expansion in the African tourism industry, aviation sector is facing some difficulties. Some airline executives have named a lack of US dollars in several economies as one of the main challenges. The inability of airlines to repatriate their earnings is negatively impacting on their financial operations.
In March, Emirates Airline, a Gulf airline, said “substantial” portion of its ticket sales revenue was stuck in Nigeria. Emirates said efforts to repatriate money from the continent’s largest economy were moving slowly.
Air France-KLM is committing to sustainable air transportation through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. The carrier seeks to cut down on carbon emission by 30% by 2030 and hit Net Zero by 2050. Dutch carrier KLM has 54 years of air operation in Kenya while Air France has five.
