A Look at Kenya Airways’ Fleet
Kenya Airways (KQ), known as the Price of Africa, is Kenya’s national carrier and one of the leading carriers in Africa. The airline is part of the Sky Team alliance. It is the top African airline with the best Staff Service in 2024 according to Skytrax.
If you have even been curious to know the fleet KQ operates, this post will guide you on that. Like most other airlines, Kenya Airways has a lean fleet comprising mostly of Boeing aircrafts. This is normal as it reduces the number of engineers and training they have to do among other things.
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
Starting us on this list is the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. KQ operates 9 such aircrafts for its long-haul routes. This aircraft has a maximum range of 14,500 km and take-off weight of 227,930 kg.
For the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, the airline has gone with a two-class configuration of 30 Premier World (business class) seats and 204 Economy seats. The seats offer 75 inches in Premier World and 32 inches in Economy.
Boeing 737-800
The Kenya airways Boeing 737-800 is a narrow-body used for short to medium-haul trips. This aircraft is part of the Boeing 737 Next Generation (737NG) family. Most of the aircrafts in this family have improved efficiency, enhanced performance, and updated technology.
KQ has 8 Boeing 737-800 aircrafts in its fleet, and they do have 2 class configurations of 16 Premier World (Business Class) and 129 Economy Class seats.
It has a maximum take-off weight of 9,015 kg and maximum range of 5,665 km.
Boeing 737-300F
For its cargo business, Kenya airways operates the Boeing 737-300F aircraft. This is a freighter aircraft that is based on the Boeing 737-300. It is designed for cargo operations and has features made for efficient freight transportation.
KQ operates two Boeing 737-300F aircrafts which have a maximum take-off weight of 62,822Kg and range of 4,074km. They can support a payload of up to 18,000 Kgs.
Boeing 737-800F
Kenya Airways operates 2 Boeing 737-800F aircrafts out of Nairobi. The latest one was added back in April 2024 to operate the Nairobi to the Middle East. The aircraft offers 20 tons of cargo capacity with a range of up to 7 hours.
Embraer E190
The airline operates the Embraer E190 for most of its local and regional routes. This is a narrow-body and twin-engine jet aircraft and KQ has 13 of these.
The KQ Embraer E190 has a two-class configuration of 12 Premier World (Business Class) and 84 Economy seats. The seat pitch on this aircraft is 38 inches for Premier World and 31 inches for Economy.
The Embraer E190 has a maximum take-off weight of 51,800 kg and maximum range of 2,935 km.
How many aeroplanes does Kenya Airways have?
As of September 2024, Kenya Airways has revealed that it has 34 planes in its fleet. These are:
- 13 Embraer E190
- 9 Boeing 787-8
- 8 Boeing 737-800
- 2 Boeing 737-300 Freighter (Cargo)
- 2 Boeing 737-800 Freighter (Cargo)
What is the largest aircraft in Kenya Airways?
The latest aircraft addition to Kenya Airways is the Boeing 737-800 Freighter that it added back in April 2024.
Does KQ have an Airbus?
No, Kenya Airways does not have an Airbus plane as it operates Embraer and Boeing planes.
How many destinations does KQ fly to?
Kenya Airways flies to 44 destinations in 61 different routes
Does KQ have Boeing 777?
No, Kenya Airways does not operate the Boeing 777 as it only has the 787 and 737 planes.
