Kenya Airways has selected US technology company PROS to strengthen its revenue management operations using artificial intelligence, as the Kenyan national carrier seeks to improve profitability and sharpen its commercial strategy in an increasingly competitive aviation market.
The airline will deploy PROS Revenue Management Advantage, an AI-powered platform designed to improve demand forecasting, optimise revenue across flight networks and support more effective pricing and commercial decisions.
The agreement, announced on Friday, follows a competitive evaluation of revenue management systems, with Kenya Airways choosing the Houston-based technology provider for its forecasting and optimisation capabilities.
The partnership forms part of the airline’s broader strategy to modernise its commercial operations and develop more sophisticated systems for managing passenger demand, ticket pricing and customer offers.
The technology is expected to help Kenya Airways identify revenue opportunities across its route network, anticipate changes in travel demand and respond more effectively to shifting customer behaviour.
Julius Thairu, chief commercial and customer officer at Kenya Airways, said the investment reflected the airline’s need to adapt to changing market conditions while pursuing its growth ambitions.
“In an ever-evolving industry, it is crucial to have innovative solutions that can adapt to changing market dynamics,” Thairu said.
“PROS’ proven leadership in the offer management space and advanced AI capabilities stood out as the perfect fit for our ambitious growth plans, enhancing our revenue management strategies and elevating our overall business performance as part of our offer optimization and offer and order management vision.”
The move comes as airlines increasingly adopt AI-driven revenue management systems to improve pricing decisions, allocate seat inventory and maximise returns from available capacity.
Such systems analyse historical booking patterns, passenger demand, network performance and changing market conditions to help carriers determine how to manage ticket availability and pricing.
For Kenya Airways, improved forecasting could provide greater visibility into demand across its network, allowing commercial teams to make more informed decisions about capacity allocation and revenue opportunities.
The airline said the investment would also establish a foundation for future offer optimisation, a model that allows airlines to develop more tailored products and services based on customer demand and commercial objectives.
AI to support airline retailing transformation
The partnership reflects a broader shift within the global aviation industry towards modern airline retailing, where carriers are increasingly seeking greater control over how they create, price and distribute their products.
Traditional airline revenue management systems have largely focused on forecasting demand and managing seat inventory, while newer platforms integrate advanced analytics and AI to support more dynamic commercial decisions.
PROS said its technology would help Kenya Airways strengthen these capabilities while preparing for a longer-term transition towards more flexible offer and order management systems.
Surain Adyanthaya, president of the airline group at PROS, said airlines were increasingly seeking technology capable of responding to customer preferences and market conditions in real time.
“Airlines are increasingly focused on creating and optimizing offers that reflect customer demand, business objectives and market conditions in real time,” Adyanthaya said.
“We’re honored to partner with Kenya Airways as it advances its commercial and retailing strategy.”
He added that combining AI, forecasting and optimisation technology would support more intelligent commercial decisions and improve operational flexibility.
“By combining advanced AI, forecasting and optimization capabilities, we’re helping build the foundation for more intelligent offer optimization, stronger commercial performance and greater agility in a rapidly evolving marketplace,” he said.
The investment also highlights the growing importance of technology-led revenue management for African airlines, which operate in a market shaped by fluctuating passenger demand, fuel costs, currency pressures and competition from international carriers.
For network airlines such as Kenya Airways, the ability to forecast demand accurately and optimise revenue across connecting routes can play an important role in commercial performance.
The new platform is intended to give the airline’s commercial teams better analytical tools to identify opportunities and respond to changes in booking behaviour.
PROS, which has more than four decades of experience in airline commercial technology, provides pricing, revenue management and retailing solutions designed to help carriers improve financial performance and modernise their distribution operations.
Neither company disclosed the financial value of the agreement, implementation timetable or specific revenue improvement targets.
The partnership nevertheless marks a further step in Kenya Airways’ efforts to modernise its commercial infrastructure, with AI-driven forecasting and revenue optimisation expected to play a larger role in its future growth strategy.
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