]Kenya Airways (KQ) is expected to operate its maiden cargo flight on the repurposed Boeing-787 Dreamliner.
KQ becomes the first global airline to convert the wide-body original passenger jet into a freighter following regulatory approval from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA).
The repurposed Dreamliner will depart the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi for London in the UK on Monday night.
The consignment will largely feature cut flowers as exporters rush to beat Sunday’s Valentine’s Day deadline for deliveries. The conversion has seen the Dreamliner’s carrying capacity increase from a minimum 30 to 56 tons.
KQ CEO Allan Kilavuka said the move is part of the national carrier’s revenue diversification strategy amid difficulties occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These is another avenue for us to generate revenues for Kenya Airways to make the airline more sustainable,” he said.
The airline is seeking to grow the contribution of cargo to its business from the current seven to 20 percent in five years.
On his part, Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said: “With this conversion. Kenya Airways can continue supporting the economy, be it on jobs or bringing in more foreign exchange.”
Fresh produce exporters, who send their goods to the European market will be the largest beneficiaries of the innovation. Plans are underway to re-purpose a second Dreamliner craft to add to Kenya Airways’ capacity in the short-term.
