Air India, India’s flagship carrier under the Tata Group umbrella, and Kenya Airways, a leading airline in Africa, have officially announced a strategic collaboration through a new codeshare partnership designed to enhance connectivity between India and Africa. The agreement, made public on January 30, 2025, further solidifies the existing interline agreement between these two airlines.

This recent development emphasizes a mutual commitment from both airlines to enhance the travel experience for passengers. In a statement released by Air India, it was highlighted that "The codeshare and interline partnerships will offer passengers seamless access to a wider array of destinations across various regions, streamlining the travel process with a unified ticket and baggage policy."

Under this newly forged alliance, Air India will affix its distinctive ‘AI’ flight code to Kenya Airways' double daily Boeing 737 flights connecting Nairobi and Mumbai. This will enable passengers from Nairobi and beyond to easily link up with onward destinations served by Air India from Mumbai, including cities such as Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka, Malé, Melbourne, and Singapore. Notably, travelers can also opt for Air India's direct Boeing 787 Dreamliner service between Nairobi and Delhi to access additional destinations within and outside India via Delhi.

Conversely, Kenya Airways will place its ‘KQ’ designator code on Air India-operated flights connecting Delhi and Nairobi, facilitating seamless travel for passengers from Africa to Delhi through Nairobi. The interline agreement encompasses a total of 28 destinations across Africa and 15 points in India, creating a vast network for travelers to explore and enjoy.

Commenting on this collaboration, Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India, expressed, "Deepening our partnership with Kenya Airways resonates with Air India’s strategic goals of expanding globally and strengthening our presence in vital markets. Our codeshare agreement will bring substantial benefits to passengers of both airlines and foster the growth of air travel between India and Africa."

Similarly, Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer of Kenya Airways, shared his enthusiasm, stating, "We are thrilled to enhance our partnership with Air India, offering significant advantages to our passengers. This codeshare agreement will provide seamless connections to a wider range of destinations, streamlining travel and enhancing convenience."

Looking ahead, Air India and Kenya Airways aim to gradually include more destinations in their respective networks within the codeshare agreement, illustrating their commitment to further collaboration and enhancing travel connectivity between India and Africa.