Kenya Airways' revenue rose to Ksh81.2 billion in the first half of 2026, its second-highest half-year revenue on record, as stronger demand helped the national carrier recover from capacity challenges that affected its performance a year earlier.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The revenue was 9.1 per cent higher than the Ksh74.5 billion recorded in the first half of 2025, according to the airline's financial results released Tuesday, August 25.

But the increase in income was outweighed by higher operating costs, which rose 13.8 per cent to Ksh91.9 billion from Ksh80.7 billion in the same period last year.

According to Mary Mwenga, the Acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the airline's operating loss widened to Ksh10.6 billion from Ksh6.2 billion in the first half of 2025.

📌 What You Need to Know

In the half-year results released in Nairobi, Kenya Airways' net loss after tax also increased to Ksh16.1 billion from Ksh12.2 billion.

According to the Acting CEO George Kamal, fuel was a major contributor to the higher costs, with KQ spending about Ksh29 billion on fuel during the six months.

The expense accounted for about 32 per cent of total operating costs and more than half of direct operating costs.

The higher costs were necessitated by the Iran war, which resulted in a significant jump in import prices and rerouting of flights, burning more fuel.

According to Kamal, the higher costs came as the airline also faced increased maintenance expenses and continued challenges in returning aircraft to full operational capacity.

"The revenue collected in Half Year 2026 is the second-highest ever for Kenya Airways at KSh81.2 billion. But the year had a significant hike in costs, largely driven by a rise in fuel and maintenance costs," Kamal stated.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke