Kenya Airways launches Fahari innovation hub

Kenya Airways PLC (KQ)  today launched the Fahari Innovation Hub, a centre for innovation that acts as a springboard for new ideas and data-driven innovations to accelerate impact-driven solutions that address some of the societal and business challenges.

 The Fahari Innovation Hub is part of KQ’s strategy in contributing to the sustainable development of Africa by empowering, partnering, and co-creating innovative ideas and strategies with local start-ups and the small-medium enterprises (SMEs) ecosystem.

 Speaking during the launch, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Joseph Mucheru said, “There is a need to invent new ways for the future and especially for our Youth to be able to respond as flexibly as possible to changing times and diverse opportunities. We commend Kenya Airways for partnering with National Youth Council and GE and leveraging and harnessing Youth potential to design the Fahari Innovation Hub in fast-tracking the country’s mission to use new, digital & environmental friendly business models beyond flying to shape our tomorrow. Through the hub we hope to see provision of upskilling, employment opportunities, community growth as well as support to local universities, enterprises and SMEs as we contribute to the sustainable development of Africa.”

Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer, Allan Kilavuka said, “At the pace at which change accelerates, especially now in the middle of a global pandemic, we have become increasingly aware of the need to be innovative as we position the business as a resilient, forward-looking and sustainable company with a deliberate inclusive agenda of empowering, partnering and co-creating with the society around us.”

“Enabling an environment that will accelerate innovative ideas, knowledge exchange and impact business operations brought together various think-tanks, industry leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs exemplifies our spirit to charge forward as we seek to innovatively find solutions that address some of our business problems and pain points,” he added. 

 The Fahari Innovation Hub has operated virtually for about one year. With the setting of a physical workspace, the hub will provide a centre for strategic innovation management offering opportunities for co-creation, collaboration, networking, research, and learning.

 Last week, the Fahari Innovation Hub curated a virtual workshop for entrepreneurs dubbed the ‘KQ Aviation 101 Workshop’ where the Fahari Innovation Challenge was launched. The workshop served to apprise start-ups and SMEs on the opportunities available to access markets within the entire value chain of the aviation sector which includes airports, the food industry, tourism, and digitization including Boeing Horizon X, IATA, Kenya Tourism Board, Nas Airport Services, General Electric, Hivos East Africa, and Funkidz Limited.

About Kenya Airways

Kenya Airways, a member of the Sky Team Alliance, is a leading African airline flying to 41 destinations worldwide, 34 of which are in Africa and carries over four million passengers annually. In 2020 KQ was named Africa’s Leading Airline by the World Travel Awards.

It continues to modernize its fleet with its 32 aircraft being some of the youngest in Africa. This includes its flagship B787 Dreamliner aircraft. Kenya Airways offers services Cargo services to key locations including London, Amsterdam, Guangzhou, Sharjah, Mumbai and over 25 intra-Africa routes in addition to its passenger network.

The on-board service is renowned and the lie-flat business class seat on the wide-body aircraft is consistently voted among the world’s top 10.

Kenya Airways takes pride in being at the forefront of connecting Africa to the World and the World to Africa through its hub at the new ultra-modern Terminal 1A at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.

Wole Shadare