Kenya Airways (KQ) has bolstered its cargo operations with the deployment of a Boeing B747 freighter under a capacity agreement, reflecting the airline’s strategic focus on cargo expansion in 2026.
“The additional freighter capacity has significantly increased the airline’s cargo capability, raising available lift from approximately 70 tonnes previously to about 180 tonnes today,” noted the Group Managing Director and CEO, George Kamal.
“Kenya Airways plans to continue expanding its cargo footprint by progressively increasing freighter capacity to exceed 250 tonnes. This expansion supports the airline’s broader strategy to strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional logistics hub while enabling exporters to access global markets more efficiently,” he added.
Kamal claims that Kenya Airways Cargo’s position as a “vital enabler of trade across Africa” is strengthened by this deployment.
According to ADS-B data, Terra Avia (T8, Chisinau International) operates the B747-400(BCF), ER-BYK (msn 25152) in what Kamal described as a “mid to long-term relationship”.
Ch-aviation fleets statistics indicates that Aquiline is the owner of the 34.8-year-old freighter. Based at Hong Kong International, it has lately operated, for instance, to Dubai World Central, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta, and Johor Bahru, Malaysia, via Sharjah.
Over 110 tons of commodities have been shipped and nearly 100 tonnes of incoming cargo have already been delivered to Kenya under the collaboration. According to Kamal, the operation has been crucial in helping Kenyan exporters and maintaining cargo movements during a period when some trade routes are disrupted by global geopolitical developments.
“By providing additional lift, Kenya Airways helped stabilise supply chains and maintain the movement of time-sensitive goods into and out of the Kenyan market,” he said.
Kenya Airways’ internal narrowbody cargo fleet consists of two company-owned B737-300(SF)s and two B737-800(SF)s that are leased from GA Telesis.