This archive report was first published on 24 August 2020.
Kenya Airways is set to undergo significant changes in its workforce, with the national carrier planning to lay off 207 of its 414 pilots. The move, which is part of the airline's cost-cutting measures, will see the majority of its top-ranking pilots, who are also the top earners, lose their jobs.
According to a report by the Business Daily on August 24, 2020, the airline will send the pilots home within the next three years as it seeks to reduce its operational costs. This decision is expected to save the airline up to Sh. 3.24 billion.
As of 2017, Kenya Airways had a total workforce of 3,548, with 414 pilots making up a significant portion of the staff. The airline's top earners, who are senior captains, earn an average monthly salary of Sh. 1.6 million ($16,000), double what pilots of Ethiopian Airlines earn per month.
Kenya Airways' CEO, Allan Kivaluka, explained that the airline aims to reduce its overall total fixed costs by about 50 percent in response to its revenue projections. The airline plans to reduce its network, assets, and people, with the reduction not being uniform across the three areas.
