Kenya Airways and South African Airways Team Up to Offer New Nonstop Flights Connecting Africa and South America
Nairobi – The new travel options between Africa and South America. Kenya Airways (KQ) and South African Airways (SAA) are expanding their partnership to launch the most direct flights yet linking the two regions under one seamless ticket.
Starting in December 2023, the codeshare agreement will allow customers to book travel originating in Kenya across South African Airways’ recently reintroduced nonstop service between Johannesburg and Sao Paulo, Brazil. The new collaboration establishes unprecedented connectivity and convenience for flyers traversing between southeastern Africa and South America.
According to KQ’s Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Julius Thairu, “Customers will now enjoy an expanded strategic cooperation, offering enhanced connectivity and a superior joint offering.” By leveraging their combined networks, the alliance enables streamlined passage on a single ticket between major African hubs like Nairobi and destinations across South America, with Sao Paulo being the first linked city. The nonstop route via South Africa stands as a game-changer, eliminating inefficient layovers in the Middle East, Europe or North America on existing journey options.
The simplified nonstop flights reduce travel times allowing for tighter, more productive onward connections. For flyers, it means fewer takeoffs and landings, shorter layovers and an improved inflight experience. The direct Johannesburg-Sao Paulo link also reduces the overall carbon footprint supporting sustainability efforts.
As Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest airlines, Kenya Airways and South African Airways are prioritizing collaborations that widen consumer choice. Their vision is a seamless, integrated travel experience across continents.
This codeshare partnership is the latest step in an ongoing alliance between the two airlines cementing their stature as leaders connecting Africa to the world. As KQ and SAA continue reimagining connectivity between these two emerging regions, the skies have opened to a world of seamless travel options.
