Allan Kilavuka has ended his six-year tenure as the Group Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Airways (KQ), a period defined by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and a complex, ongoing turnaround strategy. The airline's board announced on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, that Kilavuka will proceed on terminal leave, handing over the controls of the national carrier in an acting capacity to the current Chief Operating Officer, Captain George Kamal.

Kilavuka’s departure marks a pivotal moment for Kenya Airways. He took the helm in April 2020, just as the pandemic grounded global aviation, forcing KQ to suspend 90% of its fleet and sending revenues into a nosedive. His leadership was immediately tested, focusing on survival through drastic cost-saving measures, debt restructuring, and navigating the airline through its most turbulent financial period.

Navigating a Perfect Storm

The board credited Kilavuka with steering the company with “commitment, dedication, honour and diligence” through the COVID-19 crisis. Under his watch, the airline implemented a recovery plan dubbed 'Project Kifaru', which focused on stabilising the business by improving operational efficiency and cutting costs. These efforts culminated in a historic moment in March 2025, when KQ announced a net profit of KES 5.4 billion (approx. $41.7 million) for 2024—its first in over a decade.

However, the journey has been far from smooth. The airline was hit by a disruptive pilots' strike in 2022 and, more recently, a severe global shortage of aircraft parts that grounded a third of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet in 2025. This led to a significant 19% drop in revenue and a KES 12.1 billion loss in the first half of 2025, erasing some of the previous year's gains and prompting a profit warning for the full year.

New Captain on the Deck

The task of navigating these headwinds now falls to Captain George Kamal, a seasoned aviation executive with over 29 years of experience across the Middle East and Africa. Before joining KQ as COO, Kamal held senior roles at Air Arabia and Iraqi Airways. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Aviation Management, bringing a deep operational expertise to the CEO's office. The board has expressed its full support for Kamal during this interim period while a competitive recruitment process for a substantive CEO gets underway.

• Kilavuka's Legacy: Steered KQ through the COVID-19 pandemic, secured a return to profitability in 2024 after 11 years of losses, and initiated the 'Project Kifaru' turnaround strategy.
• Immediate Challenges: Severe aircraft and parts shortages, reversing the 2025 half-year loss, and securing a strategic investor to inject much-needed capital.
• The New Hand: Acting CEO Captain George Kamal brings extensive operational experience from various international carriers.

The leadership transition comes as Kenya Airways continues its search for a strategic investor to raise up to $2 billion (approx. KES 258 billion) to recapitalise the business and stabilise its balance sheet, which still shows liabilities far outweighing assets. For the average Kenyan, the stability of the national carrier is crucial for trade, tourism, and the country's position as a regional hub. The new leadership's ability to keep the airline flying high, manage its debt, and restore consistent profitability will determine whether the 'Pride of Africa' can truly secure its future.