Kenya Airways (KQ), the Kenyan national carrier, has teamed up with Germany-headquartered TUI Airline Holidays to relaunch KQ Holidays, a revamped travel platform designed to position Kenya as a year-round leisure destination for international travellers.
Announced in Nairobi on March 2, 2026, the partnership combines Kenya Airways’ route network across 42 destinations, 33 of which are in Africa, with TUI’s established technology and expertise in curated holiday solutions. The platform allows travellers to book flights, premium hotel stays, transfers and locally curated experiences as individual services or bundled into dynamic packages within a single transaction.
Julius Thairu, Kenya Airways Chief Commercial and Customer Officer, said the relaunch signals a strategic shift beyond core flight operations. “By partnering with TUI Airline Holidays, we are combining world class technology with our strong brand and network to offer travellers curated holiday experiences that showcase the very best of Kenya and our wider network, while supporting sustainable tourism growth,” he said.
A key feature of the platform is a Nairobi stopover option that allows transit passengers to incorporate a short stay into their connecting journey, exploring Kenya’s wildlife, coastline and cultural attractions before continuing to their final destination, all within a single coordinated booking. The feature is designed to convert Nairobi’s growing transit traffic into tourism revenue for Kenya’s wider economy.
KQ Holidays is powered by TUI’s white label technology solution, enabling real-time inventory management and personalised travel recommendations. The system allows dynamic pricing and flexible booking structures, capabilities Kenya Airways gains without developing a proprietary platform from scratch.
Danyal Kaya, Head of Specialist Businesses at TUI, described the deal as part of TUI’s broader push into the African travel market, saying the collaboration would allow Kenya Airways to drive additional revenue, offer distinctive experiences, and grow its customer base.
Kenya Airways is the sole African carrier in the SkyTeam Alliance, connecting passengers to over 1,060 destinations across 173 countries through its hub at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). TUI Group serves more than 34.7 million customers globally and owns over 460 hotels and resorts alongside five airlines operating more than 130 aircraft.
