In November 2021, Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways PLC (KQ), signed a Strategic Partnership Framework with South African Airways (SAA), a key milestone towards co-starting a Pan African Airline Group. 

The partnership framework followed the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) that the two airlines signed earlier in 2021 to foster the exchange of knowledge, expertise, innovation, digital technologies, and best practice between the two airlines. 

The signing of the Strategic Partnership Framework by the two African airlines will see both airlines work together to increase passenger traffic, cargo opportunities, and general trade by taking advantage of strengths in South Africa, Kenya, and Africa. It is expected that the partnership will improve the financial viability of the two airlines. Customers will also benefit from more competitive price offering for both passenger and cargo segment. 

The partnership framework aligns well with the aspirations of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) of providing a single market for goods and services, facilitated by movement of persons and goods to deepen the economic integration and prosperity of the African continent.