Kenya Airways will lose its chief executive on September 30, 2026, but Captain George Kamal insists the carrier's turnaround program does not hinge on who occupies the top office.

"It doesn't depend on me, or doesn't depend on anyone," Kamal, who also chairs the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), told AeroTime at the Aviation Africa Summit in Nairobi on September 9 and 10, 2026. "It depends on the process we have in place."

The airline announced Kamal's resignation on September 1, 2026, citing personal reasons, less than nine months after he moved from Chief Operating Officer to Acting Group Managing Director and CEO. He said he decided in July 2026 to leave so he could support his mother through an illness. He intends to keep working and stressed that any new role he takes should not be read as the reason for his exit.

"I cannot afford to sit home," he said.

The board appointed Company Secretary Habil Waswani as acting CEO effective September 15 while it searches for a permanent successor.

Six months left in stabilization phase

At the center of Kamal's confidence sits Project Kifaru, the airline's turnaround program, now in its second iteration. Kenya Airways is approaching the end of a two-and-a-half-year stabilization phase, with roughly six months remaining. The immediate priority is returning grounded aircraft to service before any fleet expansion.

"We cannot stay in this phase forever," Kamal said.

The next phase envisages expanding the fleet to 60 aircraft by 2032, with further additions through 2035. That plan faces a concrete constraint: engine maintenance delays kept three of Kenya Airways' nine Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners out of operation for extended periods in 2025, contributing to the airline's return to losses.

The financial pressure has continued. On August 25, 2026, Kenya Airways reported a pre-tax loss of KSh15.92 billion (approximately $123 million) for the first half of the year, against KSh12.17 billion in the same period of 2025. The airline cited higher fuel costs and spare parts shortages.

Kamal confirmed onboard Wi-Fi remains in the plans, with a launch targeted for the second quarter, though he did not specify the year. The service would be free for passengers, funded by advertising. He cautioned that implementation dates could shift depending on external developments, including the geopolitical situation in the Gulf.

"It's still part of the strategy we have," he said.

Cooperation over competition

Beyond Kenya Airways' own recovery, Kamal identified fragmentation as one of the biggest obstacles facing African aviation. Connections between parts of the continent remain so inefficient that traveling from North Africa to Kenya can take longer than flying from Nairobi to the United States, he said. In some cases, neighboring countries separated by an 11- or 12-hour drive require an air journey of 21 hours.

"We are not here to compete with each other. We are here to collaborate," he said. "I don't have an aircraft to cover all the 54 countries of Africa."

He argued airlines can extend their networks through codeshare agreements and block-space arrangements, purchasing capacity on one another's flights without deploying additional aircraft. He cited an agreement reached with RwandAir during the Nairobi summit, under which the two carriers will extend their respective codes to destinations beyond their hubs.

Kenya Airways has pursued similar arrangements with international partners, including a codeshare with Qatar Airways launched in October 2025.

Different hubs, different markets

Kamal also challenged the assumption that East Africa's major hubs compete for the same passengers. Ethiopian Airlines relies more heavily on connecting traffic through Addis Ababa (ADD), while Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) has a more balanced mix of connecting and point-to-point traffic. RwandAir operates from a landlocked market with different traffic flows.

Kenya's advantage, he argued, lies in its combination of maritime, road and air connections, creating opportunities for multimodal freight alongside passenger services. Kenya Airways already cooperates with Ethiopian Airlines on cargo.

"Everyone can win," he said.

Time, cost and certainty

Asked what African aviation must get right over the next five years, Kamal named three priorities: time, cost and certainty. Time means granting landing permits and airport slots early enough for carriers to sell tickets and build demand. Cost means removing taxes, levies and passenger service charges on intra-African travel. Certainty means airlines can rely on commercial and ground-handling agreements across borders.

Lower fares, he argued, could unlock demand from passengers who have never flown. He cited a Boeing 777 flight to Mombasa (MBA) with tickets sold at KSh6,600 (approximately $51), close to a train fare. The aircraft filled with first-time flyers.

Although he is leaving Kenya Airways, Kamal will continue as AFRAA chairman, a position from which he intends to push for closer cooperation and better connectivity across the continent.

"I am standing for it, and I will advocate for it," he said. Whether Project Kifaru's 60-aircraft target survives the leadership transition will become clear as the stabilization phase closes and the expansion decisions fall to Waswani and his permanent successor.