This archive report was first published on 10 September 2019.
On September 10, 2019, Kenya Airways was facing significant financial challenges, with losses mounting over the past few years.
The airline's management had recently blamed the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for allowing pilots to call in sick without proof, leading to numerous flight cancellations, and high salaries paid to the pilots for its financial woes.
However, the Kenya Airlines Pilots Association (KALPA) countered that the airline would still have reported losses even if pilots gave their services for free, as stated by KALPA general secretary Nyagah Murithi.
“KQ should stop looking for scapegoats in pilots. Should pilots offer services for free, KQ would still declare losses,” Nyagah Murithi said.
According to KALPA, the airline's management had also increased frequencies without having the right crew size, contributing to frequent flight cancellations.
The association now wants the government to address the pilot and crew shortage at the airline and support the nationalization of the airline if it will save KQ.
“If you are going to nationalise, it should not be tied down like other state corporations,” Nyagah said.
