Nairobi — Kenya Airways (KQ) has signed a short-term lease agreement with Hi Fly, one of the world's lease charter specialists, to meet demand for air travel during the December festivities.

The deal will see the immediate introduction of an A330 Airbus into the KQ fleet to support operational efficiency as well as enhance capacity in the market.

The wide-bodied aircraft has a capacity for 299 passengers, split into 24 in the business cabin and 275 in the economy class. It also has a wide belly capacity for more cargo space.

KQ Managing Director and CEO Allan Kilavuka said that the airline needed to take practical steps in the short term to address the pertinent challenges in the market.

"With the current capacity constraints on the back of the growing demand for airline travel, we need to balance our customers immediate needs by bringing more capacity into the market," said Kilavuka.

Its arrival will also support the anticipated increased number of travelers following the recent announcement by President William Ruto on ending visa requirements for all visitors to Kenya starting in January 2024, making Kenya a visa-free country.