Renegade Air

Fresh competition is expected in the domestic air travel business after the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) awarded little known Renegade Air Limited a three-year service licence on 10 prime routes.

The agency said the airline had been cleared to operate on routes connecting Nairobi to main business and tourism destinations including Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Malindi, Lokichogio, Kitale, Lodwar, Marsabit, Loyengalani, Ileret, Kapese and Nariokotome.

Renegade Air has also been cleared to conduct aerial work services in Kenya and the rest of Africa using a range of aircraft based at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Wilson Airport in Nairobi. The company’s fleet will include an AS 350 helicopter, a Cessna 208, a Bombardier Dash 8 and a Boeing 737.

The allocation of prime routes to Renegade Air puts it in direct competition with Kenya Airways’ low-cost airline Jambojet that already operates flights between Nairobi and Eldoret, Kisumu, Lamu, Malindi, Mombasa and Diani.

Besides turning heat on KQ, the move by KCAA is likely to rekindle debate over a long pending application by London Stock Exchange-listed airline, Fastjet.

Fastjet is seeking clearance to operate on routes similar to those awarded to Renegade Air.

The low-cost airline intends to operate international flights to and from Europe, Middle East, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa and Tanzania, among other countries as well as domestic flights between the cities of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret.

KQ, which operates low-cost carrier JamboJet, has raised objections to Fastjet’s planned re-entry into Kenyan market, signalling rising competition in the nascent budget airline business. (bdafrica)

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competition is good

But these new airlines need to come with bigger planes. I once boarded the carrot and the ride was hell. Turbulence galore.

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ION, let me quote what Mohammed Hersi-CEO of Sarova Hotels wrote

Glad that you found my piece informative. CK is a serious opinion leader and if we remain silent someone may just take his advice as the right thing to do. Locking other airlines from JKIA would mean killing it as a hub. One other observation what was the hurry to buy the Embraers and I noticed that no serious airline in the world has bothered to buy them so I am also very concerned what will happen the day they decide to retire them. If leading airlines cannot buy brand new Embraers who will buy second hand Embraers from a developing country? Please note Embraer is known for private jet NOT commercial airliners. I am for KQ to do really well, as tourism player and as a Kenyan, hence we must address the Elephant in the room…

and by the way who are the real owners of Renegade Air? that may provide another twist

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It does not have any online footprint as yet

usiseme turbulence kama huja experience a trip on an old Russian Tupolev aircraft it creeks like baba dogo matatus and your are on air

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Kabisa. One can smell a rat from far. Why give Renegade Air licence and deny FastJet.

That’s another elephant in the room

The name Renegade, could it be related to the renegade management of K.Q? or Renegade shareholders? trolling a whole nation I see

The only information that is known publicly about Renegade Air is that their post office address is P.O. Box 1167 – 00621 Nairobi.

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nothing national is allowed to thrive

Tony Fernandez’s LCC (Low Cost Carrier) Air Asia was also supposed to come in the market with tickets going for $10-$30 but I don’t know kumefika wapi after that A320 that was brought down by Thunderstorms reaching upto FL45 (45,000 feet) last December. I think they are just watching how the situation here unfolds lakini if KQ goes down Mafisi will be in town together with Team “Vultures”

Fastjet is a Tanzanian airline and Tanzanian has lately been harsh on Kenyan businesses. I could be wrong, but the government simply flexed its muscles in the view of the upcoming bilateral trade talks between Kenya and Tz.

Does it fly outside TZ?

Yes. It also flies to UG, SA, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Ala. Sina habari. so it must be cheaper for a person to drive to TZ and fly to SA than to fly KQ

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Never used it but I think it’s cheaper than KQ.

Damn cheap, just log on to the site… they even have tickets for as low as Tzs 165000 approx Kshs 8000 exclusive of taxes

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Competition is good. We need to get rid of the mentality that air travel is a luxury.