Kenya Airways (KQ) has stopped operating flights to Eldoret, one of its three domestic routes, after nearly two years in the latest review of its network.
The national flag carrier is no longer accepting bookings to or from Eldoret, but has not officially announced a suspension or a complete exit from the route, which is among the country’s most lucrative.
Live plane tracking data shows that Kenya Airways last flew to Eldoret in late December, with all scheduled flights to and from the city since cancelled, pointing to a possible reconsideration of the route amid ongoing capacity constraints.
“Unfortunately, we are not able to recommend flights to this location,” reads a message displayed to travellers attempting to book Eldoret flights through Kenya Airways’ booking system.
A source familiar with the matter said the decision to stop the flights was informed by evolution of demand on the route, which has made it more sensible to leave the route to its budget subsidiary Jambojet.
“The initial rationale for Kenya Airways operating the route was to manage traffic spillover from its subsidiary, Jambojet. Over time, as demand evolved, it became more efficient to consolidate operations under Jambojet,” said the source.
“As a wholly owned subsidiary, this means Kenya Airways continues to serve the route through Jambojet, supporting network optimisation while maintaining connectivity.”
The airline officials, however, did not respond to queries on whether the route has been temporarily suspended or permanently dropped.
The Nairobi–Eldoret route is currently served by two airlines: Skyward and Jambojet. Alongside Nairobi–Mombasa and Nairobi–Kisumu, it is one of the busiest domestic routes.
KQ had resumed flights to Eldoret in March 2024 as part of its post-Covid network expansion, returning to the route after a decade-long absence and competing directly with Jambojet, which has served Eldoret since its launch in 2014.
The national carrier exited the route in 2014 as part of a broader restructuring and cost-cutting programme amid severe financial pressure and capacity constraints that forced it to withdraw from low-yield, thin-margin services.
Kenya Airways found itself under similar strain last year, with a global shortage of aircraft parts cutting capacity by at least 20 percent, raising operating costs and squeezing margins.
In the half-year to June, the airline reported a net loss of Sh12.2 billion, reversing a profit of Sh513 million a year earlier, which it attributed to capacity constraints that reduced passenger numbers by at least 14 percent.
The airline has since issued a profit warning for the year to December 2025, signalling that full-year earnings are expected to shrink by at least 25 percent due to the ongoing operational challenges.
For much of the year, about 11 of KQ’s 34 aircraft were grounded for maintenance, with delays prolonged by the global shortage of spare parts.
A prolonged absence by Kenya Airways from the Eldoret route could push fares higher by leaving only two carriers serving the destination, at a time when domestic airlines are already raising ticket prices as demand continues to outstrip available capacity.
