Whether it is between two consenting adults madly in love with each other or the result of an arranged marriage by two cunning parents, it simply has got to work. Why do I say so?
Around 1993, the United Arab Emirates flag carrier, Emirates, started on a journey of modernisation and expansion. She immediately poached engineers and some critical personnel from KQ, quickly coming out of the woods as a nondescript and fledgeling junior player in the skies to something worth paying attention to as a worthy competitor. At that point in time, Emirates had only three planes; KQ had 27 white and red-striped planes ploughing the African, Asian and European skies with the pride of a champion. The difference between Emirates and KQ was that the former was fully patronised and owned by the UAE together with the Dubai airport, which was its base. KQ,, on the other hand, was an independent entity from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport which, for all intents and purposes, was its home base.
After just over two decades of steady growth, Emirates is now the king of the skies.
Dubai, a nondescript dusty desert port by 1990, is now the leading port and airport in the world, handling millions of passengers a year and playing host to traders from all over the world, as its fleet of close to 250 planes dominates the skies.
KQ, on the other hand, after the misadventure by its managers in the ambitious expansion project called “Mawingu Project”, and saved from being completely devoured by the lords of plutocracy and impunity in the nick of time by a Senate Select Committee, which I chaired, is now slowly coming back to life under some sound management.
The skies are increasingly becoming more competitive by the entry of worthy competitors. Under such circumstances, while the new management must continue with the reforms, success will not be guaranteed unless government fully supports the airline. Without the weight of the UAE state behind it, the history of Emirates would be completely different.
KQ is yet to develop an impressive network in Kenya, and the absence of such a network is due no doubt to our underdevelopment.
I have a sneaky feeling that KQ chairman Michael Joseph should take the bull by the horns and push this proposal to its logical conclusion, if we are to rise to the level of Dubai/Emirates and Bole/ET.
For that to happen, a divorce is necessary. KQ should divorce from KLM, codeshare with her neighbours and provide leadership in the aviation industry.
In the long run, the increase in intra-East African airline communication will no doubt trigger more economic activities hence more development within the EAC member state
This is an abridged version of the article by the author published by the Star on July 7, 2018,