Kenya Airways Plans Accra Base With Three Embraer E190 Jets

Kenya Airways is moving forward with plans to establish an aircraft base in Accra as part of a broader strategy to develop a secondary hub in West Africa. The Nairobi-based carrier could initially station up to three Embraer E190 aircraft in the Ghanaian capital, according to chief executive officer Allan Kilavuka.

Speaking to Aviation Week, Kilavuka said the final decision on the Accra base is expected in 2026. “The project will be decided next year. We are planning to base three Embraer aircraft in Accra, but this would be just the beginning,” he said, signaling that the operation could expand if the initial phase proves successful.

The proposed Accra base forms part of Kenya Airways’ evolving multi-hub growth strategy, which is designed to strengthen connectivity across Africa while reducing reliance on a single primary hub. The airline formally approached the Ghanaian government in mid-2025 to seek regulatory approvals to operate a base in Accra, reflecting growing confidence in the market’s long-term potential.

Earlier this year, Kilavuka told ch-aviation that the Embraer E190 is well suited to launching new regional routes from a secondary hub. The aircraft’s size and range make it an effective tool for testing thinner markets and building traffic flows without the capacity risks associated with larger narrowbody jets. While the E190s are expected to be phased out toward the end of the decade, Kenya Airways sees them as valuable near-term assets for network development.

In his comments to Aviation Week, Kilavuka also emphasized that Kenya Airways’ expansion approach differs from that of some regional competitors. Rather than focusing primarily on creating subsidiaries, the airline intends to grow through partnerships and deeper collaboration with other African carriers.

“What we want is to collaborate more with African carriers, to have a lot of mini hubs,” Kilavuka said. “It is not necessary to open our own companies. With existing carriers, this is what we want to do to build a stronger network.”

Kenya Airways already has an established presence in Accra, where it operates what it describes as a “mini-hub.” The airline currently flies two fifth-freedom routes from Accra, serving Freetown and Monrovia Roberts International Airport, in addition to offering daily services linking Accra with its main hub at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

If approved, the Accra-based E190 operation would deepen Kenya Airways’ footprint in West Africa, improve regional connectivity, and support its ambition to create a more distributed and resilient pan-African network.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com