This archive report was first published on 7 November 2019.
On November 7, 2019, Kenya Airways pilots raised concerns over the airline's adherence to aircraft maintenance laws. The pilots, under the Kenya Airlines Pilots Association (Kalpa), accused the airline of breaching the Civil Aviation Act by allocating tasks meant for engineers to pilots without regulatory approval.
The 'crew concept' procedure, which involves pilots administering checks on aircraft before flights, has been deemed unlawful by Kalpa. The association stated that while pilots typically review checklists to ensure aircraft are airworthy, Kenya Airways had not received clearance from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) for the crew concept.
According to Regulation 75 of the Civil Aviation (operation of Aircraft for Commercial Air Transport) Regulations, 2018, the technical logbook must be fully completed, including flight certification, before an aircraft can be released for take-off. Kalpa claimed that the crew concept procedure directly contravenes this regulation.
As a result, Kalpa directed its members to stop carrying out the crew concept procedure and instead let engineers handle their tasks in clearing aircraft for take-off. This move could potentially lead to another crisis for the airline, which is already at odds with the pilots over a disputed collective bargaining agreement.
