US-based global major aerospace group Boeing and Kenyan national flag carrier Kenya Airways (which is a public-private partnership) have entered into a partnership to develop the Fahari Innovation Hub, which was launched by the airline in July. The creation of the partnership was announced at the Dubai Airshow on Tuesday.

The Fahari Innovation Hub is a business unit of Kenya Airways, but is autonomous to ensure agility. It is a platform to unite innovators with entrepreneurs, to stimulate the development of the Kenyan (and wider African) aviation industry and address both current and future challenges. The Hub will focus on being a centre for strategic innovation management and will provide opportunities for collaboration, networking, learning, research and co-creation. It will also act as a source of expertise, resources and services, as well as provide mediation and support to partner organisations and other business functions.

“While the pandemic came with extreme challenges for the aviation industry, it also brought along opportunities for reflection initiatives, one of them being the Fahari Innovation Hub,” highlighted Kenya Airways Group CEO and MD Allan Kilavuka. “This not only enabled the presentation of new world class ideas that became part of the solutions to the challenges we faced but also brought together partners with whom we have worked together across the value chain in a bid to revive operations.”

“We are very proud of our partnership with Kenya Airways to support their new startup hub,” affirmed Boeing Middle East, Turkey and Africa president Kuljit Ghata-Aura. “We share a common objective to discover and empower new talent that will accelerate the growth of our industry. The industry has been through a tough two years, but it is resilient and promises to become even more competitive and complex. We have the opportunity to enable new entrants that think outside of our norm and consider new approaches to our business.”

Boeing will help equip the Fahari Innovation Hub. The aerospace group will provide software, hardware and furnishings, as well as supply other essential needs.