A website hosted on the domain kqairways.com is falsely claiming to be Kenya Airways’ official website as part of a scheme to defraud Kenyans. The website mirrors the genuine website’s user interface, complete with the Kenya Airways logo and branding.
The site shows available flights from Mombasa (MBA) to Nairobi (NBO) on flight KQ600, operated by a Boeing 737-800, departing on July 10, 2026 at 06:00 am and arriving at 07:25 am (duration: 1h 25m). It offers tickets priced at KSh. 2,900 for economy class and KSh. 7,078 for business class.
BACKGROUND
Kenya Airways (KQ) is Kenya’s national carrier, headquartered in Nairobi with its main hub at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Established on February 4, 1977, following the dissolution of East African Airways, the airline has grown into one of Africa’s leading carriers, serving more than 40 destinations worldwide, the majority of them across the continent. Kenya Airways is a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, and its stated mission is to “propel Africa’s prosperity by connecting its people, cultures, and markets,” which guides its focus on regional connectivity and international routes.
On June 6, 2026, Kenya Airways shared a promotion of the Boeing 777 experience with a deadline of July 16, 2026. The campaign, branded “Unlocking 50 Years with a 50% Discount,” offered passengers half-price fares on Nairobi–Mombasa flights for one week. The promotion was valid for bookings made between July 12 and July 16, 2026. In 2016, the Boeing 777-300 ER was subleased to Turkish Airlines, and on Tuesday, July 7th it landed back at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). The aim of bringing back KQ’s largest passenger jet is to ease long-haul capacity constraints and strengthen routes such as Nairobi–London Heathrow from July 17th.
The scammers’ operation coincides with the genuine offer to appear more credible. As Kenya Airways brought back Boeing 777-300ER aircraft into service, it offered short-distance travellers a rare chance to fly on one of its biggest planes on the Nairobi-Mombasa route for its 50th anniversary.
VERIFICATION
The first red flag Piga Firimbi identified was the website’s domain name. Kenya Airways’ official website is www.kenya-airways.com, while the fraudulent site used the domain kqairways.com.
Another flag was the unrealistic low prices. The site advertised economy tickets from Mombasa to Nairobi at KSh. 2,900, while a standard Kenya Airways economy ticket on the same route is approximately KSh. 6,595.
Upon selecting the flight and proceeding to checkout, the website directs users to a “Pay via Bank Transfer” page. Rather than processing payments through Kenya Airways’ secure payment gateway, it instructs customers to transfer funds directly to the following bank account:
- Bank: I&M Bank Ltd
- Account Number: 05909646866150
- Account Name: KENNETH
Furthermore, legitimate airlines process payments through secure payment gateways, credit/debit cards, mobile money integrated through verified platforms, or trusted third-party processors. They do not direct customers to make direct bank transfers to personal accounts. The instruction to transfer funds to an individual’s I&M Bank account is a hallmark of fraud.
The payment page below displays a transaction summary, for example, flights at KSh. 179,688 with a total payable of KSh. 206,641 and imposes a countdown timer (e.g., “04m: 39s”). This is a classic social engineering technique designed to prevent victims from pausing to verify the site’s legitimacy. Reference Code” to “confirm” the payment. This step serves a dual purpose: it gives the victim a false sense of a legitimate transaction process while also collecting additional banking information.
This scam is part of a wider pattern of airline impersonation fraud across Africa. Scammers clone the websites of trusted carriers, including Kenya Airways, Madaraka Express, Ethiopian Airlines, etc, to exploit travellers searching for deals online. The proliferation of cheap website-building tools and hosting services has made it easier than ever for criminals to create convincing fakes in minutes.
On June 6, 2026, Kenya Airways, through its official account on X, warned customers to be vigilant about fraudulent websites and to book only through official channels. They urged the travellers to treat any unsolicited flight offer with caution, especially those circulated via social media or messaging apps. It is important for travellers to always check the URL carefully before entering any personal or payment information, and if a deal seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
VERDICT
The website kqairways.com, which impersonates Kenya Airways, is fake, and the information published there is FALSE.
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