Originally Posted by
Goaguy
Well, AF/KL without KQ as you said will have no connections to ADD, which is now becoming the busiest airport in Africa.
But it is becoming one of the busiest airport in Africa because of ET and pax transferring there, not because of the importance of ADD as a destination, no? If so, it is not a particularly important airport for AF/KL to serve. It is significant, in this respect, that apart from a single LH flight, no European airlines serves ADD, not even the former colonial power. By contrast, there are flights to NBO by LH, LX and BA in addition to AF and KL. IMO, that speaks volumes of the relative importance of both destinations.
Too many people are already tired of missed connections in NBO and would rather fly ET. Including myself.
I take your point but, while NBO might not be the most wonderful airport in the world and KQ's lounges are not top of the class either, I would take it and them anyday in preference to the ADD zoo and the awful ET lounges.
How do you fly Skyteam within Africa then? That is really the cash cow for KQ if I am not mistaken.
The fact that it is a cash cow for KQ does not necessarily mean that it is important for the other ST airlines. It is important for them only if KQ being a member of ST attracts to ST passengers who would otherwise go elsewhere so that the intra-African traffic with KQ generates ST loyalty that goes to AF, KL, DL, etc... when flying in and out of Africa with would not otherwise come their way.
With ET next door member of *A and RAM soon to join Comair as a OW airline, there is a plausible argument that it is important for ST to keep an African airline. But it is nonetheless difficult for outsiders to evaluate how much the presence of KQ contributes to directing traffic towards other ST airlines.