At this time, Addis Ababa, Athens, Bombay, Cairo, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Jeddah, Kampala, Karachi, Khartoum, London, Lusaka, Mauritius, Mogadishu, Rome, Salisbury, Seychelles and Zürich were among the airline's international destinations, whereas domestic routes radiated from Nairobi to Kisumu, Malindi, Mombasa and Mumias.

[30] In 1986, Sessional Paper Number 1 was published by the Government of Kenya, outlining the country's need for economic development and growth.

The government named Philip Ndegwa as chairman of the board in 1991, with specific orders to make the airline a privately owned company.

[30] Davies had been previously hired to carry out a study of viability on privatisation,[30] working for British Airways' Speedwing consulting arm.

[33] A large aviation industry partner was sought to acquire 40% of the shares, with another 40% reserved for private investors and the government keeping the remaining stake.

[37] The Government of Kenya kept a 23% stake in the company, and offered the remaining 51% to the public; however, non-Kenyan shareholders could hold a maximum 49% share of the airline.

[33][35][36] Despite 40% of the shares being kept by foreign investors following privatisation (including KLM's 26% stake), top management positions were held by Kenyans.

[38] In January 2000, the airline experienced its first fatal accident when an Airbus A310 that had been bought new in 1986 crashed off Ivory Coast, shortly after taking off from Abidjan.

From its main hub at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, scheduled services were operated to Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Bujumbura, Cairo, Copenhagen, Dar es Salaam, Douala, Dubai, Eldoret, Entebbe/Kampala, Harare, Johannesburg, Karachi, Khartoum, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lilongwe, Lokichoggio, London, Lusaka, Mahe Island, Malindi, Mombasa, Mumbai, and Zanzibar.

[44] In June 2012 the company announced the issuance of rights worth KSh.20 billion/=, aimed at increasing capital to support expansion plans.

[48][49] In April 2012, the airline launched a plan named Project Mawingu (the Swahili word meaning Clouds) to add 24 destinations by 2021, including the start of services to Australia and North and South America, and expanding its presence in Asia as well.

In a complex deal, stakeholders agreed to convert close to half a billion US dollars in equity loans, changing the ownership structure.

[55] The Government of Kenya issued a guarantee for a further US$525 million debt owed to Import-Export Bank of the United States, financier of the newer Boeing planes of its fleet.

In a bid to recover their exposure, syndicated leaseholders and banks unsuccessfully fought these measures to restructure the carrier's ownership.

The turnaround operation will include route expansion, pursuing the high-end segment of the market, on partnerships and joint ventures with other airlines.

[59] Talks are underway with South African Airways regarding route-sharing and aircraft-maintenance collaboration; this is the other focus of the turnaround scheme.

[62] In 2024, Kenya Airways has demonstrated a strong performance turnaround, marking its first profit since 2013, a significant milestone driven by its Project Kifaru strategy.

For the first half of the year ending June 2024, the airline reported a net profit of Ksh513 million, a major improvement from the Ksh21.7 billion loss reported during the same period last year The airline’s profit after tax saw a remarkable 102% improvement, highlighting the success of the ongoing recovery strategy..

[82] Kilavuka was appointed as Kenya Airways Group's acting CEO in December 2019, succeeding Sebastian Mikosz, who resigned amid nationalisation plans for the airline.

[86] In September 2007, Kenya Airways became one of the first official SkyTeam Associate Airline[87][88] and achieved full membership in June 2010.

[117] Kenya Airways phased out its Boeing 777s in May 2015 after the airline made losses and incurred debts in the previous financial year.

The four stripes running all through the length of the fuselage were replaced by the company slogan Pride of Africa, whereas the KA tail logo was replaced by a styled K encircled with a Q to evoke the airline's IATA airline k Kenya Airways (KQ) has launched three key sustainability initiatives under its strategic recovery plan, Project Kifaru, aimed at ensuring long-term business viability and environmental responsibility.

These include: These projects align with KQ's goals of reducing its environmental footprint, improving operational efficiency, and fostering community development through job creation.

CEO Allan Kilavuka emphasized the airline's commitment to sustainability, customer focus, and Africa's prosperity through responsible corporate practices.

As Kamal emphasized, "We are not just cutting costs for short-term gains; we are building a more resilient and sustainable future for Kenya Airways."

Furthermore, the scaling up of these plants is expected to "create additional employment opportunities," underscoring the airline's dedication to community development and environmental responsibility.Former Kenya Airways' frequent flyer programme Msafiri was merged with KLM's Flying Dutchman in 1997,[11] which was in turn merged with that of Air France and rebranded as Flying Blue in 2005, following the fusion of both companies.