Kenya Airways (KQ, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta) has strengthened its cargo operations with the deployment of a Boeing B747 freighter under a capacity agreement, reflecting the airline’s strategic focus on cargo growth in 2026, Group Managing Director and CEO George Kamal has confirmed to ch-aviation.

"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," he explained.

"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.

According to Kamal, the deployment reinforces the role of Kenya Airways Cargo as a "critical enabler of trade across Africa".

ADS-B data shows that the B747-400(BCF), ER-BYK (msn 25152), is operated by Terra Avia (T8, Chisinau International), in what Kamal said was a "medium to long-term partnership". The 34.8-year-old freighter is owned by Aquiline, according to ch-aviation fleets data. It is based at Hong Kong International, from which it recently operated, for example, to Dubai World Central and Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta and back via Sharjah to Johor Bahru in Malaysia.

Under the partnership, close to 100 tonnes of inbound cargo has already been delivered into Kenya while more than 110 tonnes of goods has been exported. Kamal said the operation had played a key role in supporting Kenyan exporters and ensuring continuity of cargo flows at a time when certain trade lanes face disruptions due to geopolitical developments in parts of the world.

"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' in-house narrowbody cargo fleet includes two company-owned B737-300(SF)s and two B737-800(SF)s leased from GA Telesis, ch-aviation data reveals.