Kenya Airways is expected to announce details of potential new investors within weeks as the loss-making carrier seeks fresh capital to ease debt pressures, return grounded aircraft to service and fund its restructuring programme.

Chairman Kiprono Kittony said the airline has received interest from both local and international investors willing to provide capital and other resources.

The planned investment comes as Kenya Airways faces rising fuel costs, maintenance delays and shortages of spare parts that have constrained capacity despite strong passenger demand.

The carrier reported a pre-tax loss of 15.92 billion Kenyan shillings ($123 million) in the first half of 2026, compared with a loss of 12.17 billion shillings in the same period a year earlier.

Kenya Airways said fuel costs increased 72% during the first half of 2026 amid the Middle East conflict, with fuel accounting for up to half of its overall costs. The conflict also disrupted the delivery of spare parts and maintenance services.

Kittony said investors from the United States, China, South Africa and Singapore had expressed interest. The airline plans to conduct a transparent process because it is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

He said Kenya Airways expects to secure both a capital-raising partner and a strategic aviation partner.

A key element of the restructuring plan will involve strengthening the airline’s balance sheet, potentially including the conversion of principal debt owed to the Kenyan government and a consortium of local banks into equity.

The Kenyan government is currently the airline’s largest shareholder. Kittony stressed that maintaining significant government ownership would be important to preserving Kenya Airways’ status as the country’s national carrier.

Source: ZAWYA

Kenya Airways is expected to announce details of potential new investors within weeks as the loss-making carrier seeks fresh capital to ease debt pressures, return grounded aircraft to service and fund its restructuring programme.

Chairman Kiprono Kittony said the airline has received interest from both local and international investors willing to provide capital and other resources.

The planned investment comes as Kenya Airways faces rising fuel costs, maintenance delays and shortages of spare parts that have constrained capacity despite strong passenger demand.

The carrier reported a pre-tax loss of 15.92 billion Kenyan shillings ($123 million) in the first half of 2026, compared with a loss of 12.17 billion shillings in the same period a year earlier.

Kenya Airways said fuel costs increased 72% during the first half of 2026 amid the Middle East conflict, with fuel accounting for up to half of its overall costs. The conflict also disrupted the delivery of spare parts and maintenance services.

Kittony said investors from the United States, China, South Africa and Singapore had expressed interest. The airline plans to conduct a transparent process because it is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

He said Kenya Airways expects to secure both a capital-raising partner and a strategic aviation partner.

A key element of the restructuring plan will involve strengthening the airline’s balance sheet, potentially including the conversion of principal debt owed to the Kenyan government and a consortium of local banks into equity.

The Kenyan government is currently the airline’s largest shareholder. Kittony stressed that maintaining significant government ownership would be important to preserving Kenya Airways’ status as the country’s national carrier.

Source: ZAWYA

Air India is seeking approximately $1.5 billion in fresh equity funding from its owners Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, according to two people familiar with the matter cited by Reuters.

The proposed funding would rank among the largest publicly reported shareholder injections into Air India since Tata Group took control of the former state-owned carrier in 2022.

The request comes as Air India continues a multi-billion-dollar transformation programme, including the refurbishment of its existing fleet and upgrades to its operations and systems.

Air India and its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express reported combined losses of $2.33 billion for the fiscal year ended March, more than double the previous year’s losses. The financial performance has also affected Singapore Airlines’ profits.

According to the sources, Air India wants the funds as soon as possible, although the investment could be provided in several tranches. Singapore Airlines, which holds around 25% of Air India, would need to contribute its share for the proposed equity infusion to proceed.

Discussions remain ongoing and no final decision has been made, the sources said.

Air India’s turnaround has faced several challenges, including Pakistan’s airspace restrictions on Indian carriers, disruptions to international operations linked to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, and the aftermath of last year’s fatal crash that killed 260 people.

Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran has previously said Air India’s transformation could take up to a decade, citing supply-chain challenges and the need to overhaul the airline’s legacy systems, culture and fleet.

The airline has also sought to defer deliveries of hundreds of aircraft ordered from Airbus and Boeing as Tata Group works to reduce costs and address its losses.

One of the sources said Air India is expected to require additional capital injections in the coming years as it continues its long-term turnaround programme.

Source: Reuters News

Emirates ranked first among global airlines for international capacity in August, offering more than 31 billion available seat kilometres (ASKs), according to aviation analytics provider OAG.

The Dubai-based carrier’s international capacity was approximately 21% higher than Ryanair, which ranked second with around 25.7 billion ASKs.

Available seat kilometres are a key measure of airline capacity, calculated by multiplying the number of seats available for sale by the distance flown.

United Airlines ranked third with approximately 22.8 billion ASKs, followed by Turkish Airlines with around 21.5 billion.

British Airways ranked seventh with 15.9 billion ASKs, while American Airlines followed with approximately 15.7 billion. Air France ranked ninth with a similar level of capacity, and Lufthansa completed the top 10 with around 15.3 billion ASKs.

Emirates’ leading position reflects the scale of its extensive long-haul network operated through its Dubai hub, placing the airline significantly ahead of other major international carriers in capacity deployed during the month.

The ASK metric particularly highlights the scale of long-haul operations because it accounts for both the number of seats offered and the distance flown.

Source: Gulf News