Why State wants KQ frequency rules reviewed

The government is reconsidering its policy that guides approval of frequency applications by airlines to fly to Nairobi, a move that will have the national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) face stiff competition even as the country seeks to grow trade.

Amid several trade deals the government has struck with other economic blocs, exporters of agricultural produce have had issues with the capacity of freighters and the cost.

The Kenya-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that came into force mid-last year, the comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates signed in January this year, and the deal with China that favours agricultural produce are some of the trade pacts the country has inked of late to aid in exports.

Freighters are said to be more attracted to electronics that fetch more per kilogramme when compared to green produce such as flowers and avocados, which are among the country’s top exports.

For this reason, the government has been forced to rethink its protectionism approach on KQ, revealing plans to increase the frequencies of other airlines to Nairobi. This move is expected to offer exporters more room to ferry their produce overseas.

These frequencies will be for both charter and scheduled flights. A proposal from players in the sectors seeks to have the government offer short-term frequency approvals to freighters during the high season as another solution.

British Airways (BA) was recently granted three more frequencies, increasing its flights to 10 to facilitate the flow of tourists to the country for the wildebeest migration season.

Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Davis Chirchir says even as the government may be willing to offer short-term frequencies to freighters to facilitate exporters, the major challenge with agricultural products freight is the costs.

“That is not a problem at all. We don’t have stringent regulations for cargo,” he said during a recent Presidential Roundtable with the private sector. “The biggest challenge is the value of our freight.”

He said the cost of shipping a kilo of flowers is between Sh195 to Sh260. This is compared to electronics, where freighters make up to Sh1,040 per kilo.

Aviation Safety

According to SINO Shipping’s August prices, e-commerce shipments would cost Sh741 ($5.7) from China to Kenya.

In June, according to Ubest Shipping, the price was Sh1,014 ($7.8). “That is why, as we negotiate for some of the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements (Basa), we are seeking to take advantage of our attractiveness,” said the CS.

The CS noted the additional frequencies granted to BA, saying exporters can take advantage of such so that the airlines can also realise value for money.

He said that Basa provides for code sharing that can also allow KQ to sell tickets, but the passengers will fly partner airlines. As such, KQ would still remain competitive.

The government, for long, has been protecting KQ by slowing down or openly denying landing rights or additional frequencies as applied by other global airlines. A case in point is years ago, during the reign of James Macharia as Transport CS, Emirates was denied extra flights on the Dubai-Nairobi route.

Emirates was then making 14 trips a week on the route. “The aviation business between Dubai and Nairobi is one-sided and favours Emirates,” said Macharia when he appeared before a Senate Committee.

Additional frequencies

His successor Chirchir now says it may be time for the government to re-examine this protectionist approach for KQ when perusing applications for additional frequencies by other airlines.

“We could be seen to be overprotecting KQ without due consideration for the tourism, trade and agricultural produce sector,” he said. “We will be looking at data to deploy a more scientific way of allowing frequencies to ensure, even as we secure our interests in KQ, we are able to support trade and agriculture.”

“The industry wants us to provide more additional capacity, and give more airlines the opportunity to carry cargo out of Kenya,” President William Ruto noted the concerns by the players, which he tasked CS Chirchir to address.

Kenya Flower Council Chair Chris Kulei, noted that additional flights for the sake of tourism will mean more capacity for exporters, citing the tonnage capacity of the 787 Dreamliner and Boeing 777.  “Every single effort on tourism helps us as an industry, and we also help the airlines make those flights viable commercially,” he said. Agayo Ogambi from the Shippers Council of East Africa pointed out that freighters tend to vacate the country during peak season for more lucrative routes, which affects pricing, reliability and availability of capacity for the country’s exports.

“We are asking the government to consider short-term approvals for freighters, especially in peak seasons, so that this mitigates the gap, and assures exporters that there is capacity for their produce,” he said.

While a majority of global airlines feed into Nairobi, the call for more frequencies by players that touch on Mombasa, which the government has guarded just as much as it has protected KQ.

Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) Board Chair Fred Odek says there is no way the country will grow tourism if it continues to guard Mombasa.

“Our concern is to implore the government to open frequencies to Mombasa. You will not grow tourism in Mombasa if you do not allow direct charter flights,” he said. He noted the Tui Group, whose application to fly the Mombasa-Amsterdam route was denied, as reported in June 2025.

“If you can offer them, it can boost tourist numbers in Mombasa,” he said.

Chirchir explained that Tui had applied for charter flights. Once they finished the scheduled flights, they continued flying without the necessary approvals, which prompted the government to stop them.

“If they wanted to do scheduled flights, then they needed to do that kind of application,” he said. “They have lately applied for scheduled flights to Mombasa, and we are looking at that.”