Kenya Airways and Delta Airlines, both prominent members of the SkyTeam alliance, have recently announced the expansion of their codeshare agreement. This collaboration brings exciting new opportunities for travelers within Africa and the United States, as well as for members of their respective loyalty programs. The highlight of this expanded partnership is the inclusion of a nonstop Nairobi-New York service, aiming to enhance air connectivity between the two continents.
The expanded codeshare agreement offers enhanced travel options for customers, allowing them to seamlessly explore both continents with ease. This development holds significance against the backdrop of growing demand for travel between North America and Africa. Alain Bellemare, Delta’s International President, expressed the importance of this strategic partnership in catering to this demand while strengthening the airline’s presence across Africa.
“At a time when we are seeing unprecedented demand for travel between North America and Africa, expanding our strategic partnership with Kenya Airways offers our customers more travel options, as well as supporting our priority of deepening our presence across the African continent,” he stated.
Under this agreement, Delta SkyMiles members and Kenya Airways Asante Reward members stand to benefit by earning miles through their travels.
The signing ceremony of this pivotal agreement was attended by key executives from both Delta Air Lines and Kenya Airways. Perry Cantarutti and Alain Bellemare represented Delta Air Lines, while Allan Kilavuka and Julius Thairu represented Kenya Airways.
Kenya Airways, which currently operates a daily flight schedule between Nairobi and New York JFK, is set to capitalize on this expansion. Delta Air Lines, with plans for nonstop services between Africa and the United States from 2026, offers flights to various African destinations including Accra, Dakar, Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Lagos.
The codeshare expansion not only facilitates travel for business, leisure, and study purposes between the U.S. and Africa but also strengthens Kenya Airways’ presence in the U.S. market. This development is underscored by Allan Kilavuka, Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Airways PLC, who highlights the seamless connectivity that the expansion brings to travelers visiting Africa or the U.S.
“The codeshare expansion is historic, as it not only allows KQ to expand its footprint in the U.S., offering seamless one-ticket connectivity to those traveling for business, leisure or study. It also offers seamless connectivity to those visiting Africa for similar reasons via JFK to KQ’s hub at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA),” said Allan Kilavuka, Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Airways PLC.
Kenya Airways’ daily flight schedule between Nairobi and New York JFK, operated using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, adds convenience to the route. The aircraft offers a capacity of 234 seats in two classes, comprising 30 Business Class seats and 204 Economy Class seats.
Below is Kenya Airways flight schedule to New York JFK
Nairobi – New York JFK Flight KQ 002 NBO 23:35 – JFK 07:35+1 daily flights.
New York JFK – Nairobi Flight KQ 003 JFK 13:45 – NBO 10:30+1 daily flights.
