Kenya Airways is gearing up for a significant boost to its long-haul operations as it prepares to return three grounded Boeing 787 Dreamliners to service. The move is expected to restore the airline’s diminished capacity and improve service reliability after months of disruptions caused by global supply chain constraints and engine unavailability.

According to the airline’s Chief Operating Officer, George Kamal, the grounding was solely due to the need for engine overhauls and not any fault with the aircraft themselves. Group Managing Director and CEO Allan Kilavuka confirmed that the first of the three long-haul aircraft will be operational again by July 22, with the second and third expected to follow on September 25 and December 19, respectively.

The national carrier, which operates a fleet of nine Boeing 787-8s — each with a capacity of 234 passengers — had seen its long-haul capacity shrink by 20% due to the prolonged grounding. The impact has been felt through widespread flight delays, cancellations, and schedule changes.

To further ramp up capacity, Kenya Airways plans to introduce three narrow-body aircraft in the last quarter of 2025, adding 528 more seats and increasing belly cargo capacity by 239%. This aligns with the airline’s broader recovery and growth strategy.

As part of these efforts, CEO Kilavuka is advocating for fairer competition on international routes. He urged Kenyan authorities to enforce stronger reciprocity in bilateral agreements to ensure national carriers like Kenya Airways are not disadvantaged.

“We want the authorities to be a bit more stringent when it comes to reciprocity… so that Kenya Airways and other national carriers can compete fairly,” Kilavuka said.

The return of the Dreamliners marks a pivotal moment for Kenya Airways as it works to restore confidence among passengers and strengthen its position in the competitive global aviation market.