Let me try and explain how strategic KQ is:

I’m in the IT/Telco industry working for an multinational technology vendor. I and many people
in our industry use KQ to cover Africa, with Nairobi as our hub. The IT/Telco sector alone is huge, with big notable vendors such as Oracle, Microsoft, Cisco, Huawei, Nokia, Ericsson, CheckPoint, IBM, etc. Huge distributors who follow these vendors are also based in Nairobi, likes of Westcon/Comstor, Redinton, DataGroup, etc. Of course the end users too who have operations in several countries in Africa. All these need a proper air transport infrastructure and an airline. That’s where KQ comes in.

Now, this is just IT/Telco, talk of banking, audit/tax services(KPMG, PWC, EY, Deloite), medical sector(Novartis, Roche, etc), energy(GE, Scheneider, Siemens, etc), the UN and its bodies, manufacturig(CocaCola, Unilever, etc)etc. All these are hubbed in NRB, with KQ a big factor why they are here and of course other factors.

I will typically do about 45-55 flights per year mostly around Africa. I cannot use any other airline with that kind of travel. Trying to use Bole or Kigali as a hub is just unsustainable and would only lead to travel fatigue. Trust me, there are many like me who must take the most direct flight as travel policy.

To also clirify, if you did not know, the most direct flight is always expensive since it’s more convenient. That’s how airline pricing is done. The flight that is most inconvenient with long layovers and multiple hops is always cheaper. That’s why to Kenyans, KQ will always be more expensive than other options. If you use KQ flight to and from Bole, you’ll notice a number of Ethiopians on board. Now you know why. The Lagos - Nairobi flight is quite busy with transit passengers to Joburg, while SAA flies directly from Joburg to Lagos. That’s how airlines work.

Now that’s why KE govt will do whatever is in its powers to protect KQ. It’s unbelievably strategic to our economy. If you look at the idea behind SGR, Roads, education, electricity, etc similar strategic importance such that only a government can invest in such...I know value for money is another coversation all together. Such investment should not necessarily be profitable, they are enablers of the rest of the economy.

Nigeria with its huge market and educated population is seriously deficient in infrastructure, and that’s how come much smaller countries like Kenya end up being hubs covering West Africa.

I hope I’ve done justice to this topic.

This is exactly it! For business travel & trade KQ is very strategic to Kenya. That direct connection especially in Africa is key. If there is sensible management that can get it to a turnaround I support the govt cushioning KQ a little with the aim of getting it back to profitability then it can be inviting enough for a Qatar or something to buy a majority stake in.

And it should register to people that Govt is not a kiosk. Even those dams that are gobbling more money than the SGR have no REIT. How are they of strategic importance to Kenya?

I am actually surprised that this thread has grown to this lenght without questioning some of the 'facts' displayed here. This common narrative that KQ owns four planes is false and baseless. Most do not understand that most airlines even the most profitable ones use wet-leases. A better argument would be to critic the use of SPV for the wet-lease instead of KQ doing the wet-lease directly. But this idea that KQ owns 4 planes is 'fake news' . Plane ownership is not even the most important thing. It is a very risky asset to own. Ask that crook Ngunze when he was trying to get rid of the 777's-ER

Recently you told us about a lady who abandoned poultry farming because she was making loses and instead opted to outsource eggs. Are you now saying the lady should have been humane and continued to sink more cash into the enterprise so as to keep her farm workers and feed suppliers happy and employed?

Inability to run the airline is not the same as the airline is useless. The notion being peddled around that Kenya Airways shouldn't be bailed out is insincere. The airline cannot only be seen from the prism of profits. As a matter of fact, some of the noisiest people here don't fly the airline, aren't employed by the airline and certainly don't own a piece of the airline except through GoK, therefore they would only be discussing the airline from a ticket cost standpoint.

Kenya Airways isn't in the business of owning aircraft. If they could fly you in a hot-air balloon to Cairo, safely, efficiently and on time, they would do it. Business in Kenya prevails inspite of Government. Not because of it. In this very rare occassion that Government is willing to come in, let it do so.

What is the opportunity of cost of not having the airline?

So you joined Wazua in 2016 but made your maiden post on a KQ thread today. We see your sincerity