Emirates Airline appoints Christophe Leloup as country manager for Kenya

Emirates Airline has appointed Christophe Leloup as its country manager for Kenya replacing Hendrik Du Preez who left the airline to join Qatar Airways as the vice president for Africa last September.
The Dubai-based airline in a recent statement said that the appointment took effect on January 1, for a period that it did not disclose.
Mr Du Preez had worked at Emirates as the country manager for Kenya since November 2017 and doubled up as the East African regional manager.
“This appointment is expected to support Emirates’ operations in Kenya and in wider East Africa, as the airline continues to restore its operations, capitalise on shifting market dynamics and navigate the complex challenges posed by the global pandemic,” said the airline.
The Covid-19 pandemic hit the aviation sector the hardest with airlines forced to ground their flights and send staff home after countries closed their borders.
Following the resumption of flights, airlines are increasingly using their passenger aircraft to ferry cargo as businesspeople and holidaymakers delay travel due to tight budgets and fears of contracting the coronavirus.
An Emirates insider, Mr Leloup has 25 years of experience in the aviation sector, the airline said.
He first joined Emirates in 2012 as the area manager in Côte d’Ivoire and overseeing operations in some West African markets. He later led Emirates operations in Senegal.
During his tenure in the West African market, Mr Leloup is credited with consolidating Emirates’ presence across the region by increasing frequencies for enhanced connectivity and more capacity to serve passenger demand.
He holds a Master’s of Sciences in International Management from the MBA Institute in Paris.
Emirates operates daily passenger flights to and from Nairobi, in addition to special cargo services from Eldoret.