Kenya Insights

Tag: KQ

  • Bluebird Aviation Charters Flights For Stranded KQ Passengers

    Bluebird Aviation Charters Flights For Stranded KQ Passengers

    As Kenya Airways pilots strike enters its fourth day, passengers continue to cancel their flights and many are left stranded.

    To fill the void, Bluebird Aviation has announced it is ready to help ease current flight disruptions in the country by booking stranded passengers for charter flights following a strike by Kenya airways pilots.

    Bluebird Aviation General Manager, Captain Hussein Mohammed said while other small operators have begun recording an increase in enquiries and bookings, it is ready to take up passengers on charter flights.

    ”We are ready to take in passengers on charter flight basis. We welcome all passengers currently stranded in various airports to come and savour our unrivalled experience with more customised services,” said Captain Mohammed.

    Following the strike, Kenya Airways on Saturday requested its passengers to cancel their tickets for other available airlines.

    KQ declared the strike illegal and claimed they’re making loses in millions.

  • Oh Boy! International Aviation Vlogger Sam Chui Rates Kenya Airways On His Nairobi-Dubai Flight

    Oh Boy! International Aviation Vlogger Sam Chui Rates Kenya Airways On His Nairobi-Dubai Flight

    If you’re an aviation enthusiast and follow much online, you’ll definitely know about Sam Chui. However, the KQ crew missed out on a good opportunity, struggling to stay on their feet, the loss making national airline, couldn’t recognize the influencer onboard and even at one point, the ground crew who’re generally rude and cruel, stopped him from filming the content for his blog.

    Sam Chui is often referred to as the Godfather of Aviation Geekdom—and it’s a crown he can wear with pride.

    As the most influential social media star in the airline and aviation sphere, he goes places most of us can never get to—and he does it with humility and a smile on his face.

    He has flown with more than 240 airlines and in 180 different types of aircraft. On his Instagram, he says he’s flown more than 10,000 hours.

    To put it into perspective, he flies around 150 times a year—or every 3 days on average. He’s been to every continent except Antarctica.

    His favorite aircraft—because apparently, that’s something aviation people have—is the Boeing 747.

    He’s had time to fine-tune his choice since he’s flown in a Boeing 747 more than 350 times.

    And if you’re looking for trivia, here’s some: Sam Chui has been the top-rated photographer on airliners.net for several years.

    For his love for Boeing, the influencer who took a safari trip in Kenya commented on his IG, “I flew with KQ B787 from Nairobi back to Dubai last week. I love Kenya and it’s very friendly people. I also love the KQ livery and its good service onboard. However, the food offering has room to improve. It was quite simple. Updating the IFE and adding Wi-Fi would be a great next step
    forward.“

    Food served to Chui that he describes as simplistic.

    In a recorded video that he has since released on YouTube to his 2.9M subscribers, the Vlogger who flew on business class says the food is pathetic and not up to class.

    The onboard crew was generally hospitable and good to him even the pilots allowing him to film from the cockpit.

    ”Sam Chui, the world’s most influential Aviation Vlogger, flew KQ from JKIA to Dubai a couple of days back and nobody recognized him, from the ground staff to the flight crew. The ground staff was particularly very rude to him. This is the most influential person in global aviation and nobody at KQ knows him? His experience was different on RwandAir, which gave him VIP treatment on his flight from Dubai to Kigali. He gave our national carrier an excoriating review on his channel which has close to 3 million subscribers. KQ is on an irrecoverable nose dive. Sad for an airline that was once the best in Africa.” Innocent Ngare, a Facebook influencer noted.

    Watch the video below.

    The East African aviation industry, like its counterparts globally, is having a tumultuous pandemic period. Revenue losses and reduced passenger numbers due to Covid-19 travel restrictions as well as uncertainty have hit the aviation sector hard, pushing some to the brink of collapse. Kenya’s loss-making national carrier Kenya Airways has not been spared and is in the midst of a restructuring.

    National carriers like RwandAir, Uganda Airlines and Air Tanzania are providing more competition for Kenya Airways.

    In December 2019, Qatar Airways and RwandAir signed a deal in which the Qataris would invest in a new airport on the outskirts of Kigali. Qatar Airways has a 60% stake in the airport, which was expected to have the capacity to handle 14 million passengers per year, double the capacity of Nairobi’s main airport.

    Uganda also relaunched its national airline with an inaugural flight to Nairobi in August of 2019.

    Kenya Airways is not known to have the best prices on any of its routes, and RwandAir has been exploiting that with its direct flights between Entebbe and Nairobi.

    Kenya Airways has the most expensive tickets among airlines operating in Africa, charging more on average than carriers such as Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways and Air France. A 2021 study by competition authorities representing a total of 24 African countries showed the national carrier risked losing market share to cheaper rivals like Ethiopian Airlines and new entrants, including RwandAir and Uganda Airlines.

    Chui did a review of RwandAir and was quite positive.

    In August 2020, just four months on the job as the airline CEO, Allan Kilavuka shared his growth plan for the national carrier post Covid-19 and he noted that the target was to reduce the company’s overall total fixed costs – not just staff costs – by about 50% in response to their revenue projections.

    Fast-forward to 2021, the airline made a net loss of KSh11.4bn ($100.4m) during the six months period to 30 June 2021, down from a net loss of KSh14.3bn in the same period in 2020.

    The reduction in losses was helped by the diversification of the business into cargo and charter flight operations as passenger numbers shrank.

    Airline nationalisation

    In 2020, the Kenyan government said it was opting to take over the airline by buying out the minority shareholders.

    The government owns 48.9% of the airline, with a consortium of lenders holding 38% and Air France-KLM controlling 7.8%.

    In September 2021, Kenya Airways chief executive Allan Kilavuka said nationalisation was not a panacea, but only part of the reform process.

    Two years after the nationalisation plan was announced, the government scrapped the plan to fully nationalise the carrier in December 2021. It now plans to oversee the restructuring of the airline without taking it over.

    IMF warnings

    According to the IMF, it will cost a projected $1bn to restructure Kenya Airways. It argues that more financial backing from the government will be “unavoidable”.  Nairobi has already issued guarantees for $750m of the airline’s debt.

    “The authorities do not intend to nationalise the carrier and are considering appropriate mechanisms to protect the exchequer’s financial interests during the restructuring process,” IMF said.

    Analysts say Kenya Airways needs a radical overhaul of its business model, given the challenges threatening the aviation industry in the post-pandemic environment, the IMF said. Changes required include cutting back on operations and staff, enhancing efficiency and renegotiating leases and suppliers’ contracts, it said.

    The SAA partnership

    Recently, Kenya Airways and South African Airways signed a memorandum of cooperation with the long-term goal of launching a pan-African airline group.

    Both Airlines said the pact will enhance mutual growth potential by taking advantage of the strengths of the two carriers’ hubs in Johannesburg and Nairobi.

    The companies say the pact will improve the financial viability of the two airlines. Customers will also benefit from more competitive price offerings for both passenger and cargo segments.

    “This cooperation aligns with Kenya Airways’ core purpose of contributing to the sustainable development of Africa and is based on mutual benefits,” the airline’s chairman Michael Joseph said in November 2021. “It will increase connectivity through passenger traffic, cargo opportunities while enhancing the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.”

    Both Kenya Airways and South African Airways have been making losses for years. South Africa’s embattled national carrier emerged from bankruptcy in November 2021, flying its first plane in 18 months.

    In March 2022, the company recorded a 56 percent drop in its net loss to Sh15.8 billion, a significant improvement from the record Sh36.2 billion net loss the airline recorded in 2020 on the back of global travel restrictions owing to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    This saw revenue for the year increase 33 percent from Sh52.8 billion to Sh70.2 billion as the number of passengers grew 25 percent to 2.2 million, while cargo ferried also grew 29 percent to 63,726 metric tonnes.

  • Loss Making KQ Aims A Fresh Bailout From The Government​

    Loss Making KQ Aims A Fresh Bailout From The Government​

    Kenya Airways (KQ) is eyeing a fresh bailout from the government to steady its operations despite narrowing its half-year loss by a fifth.

    KQ chief executive Allan Kilavuka said Thursday the national carrier was in a precarious financial position and that the recovery of revenues to pre-coronavirus levels looks set to delay up to 2024, especially given that Africa lags in the vaccination against the disease.

    The airline posted a Sh11.49 billion net loss in the six months ended June— a 19.8 percent cut from the Sh14.33 billion loss it incurred in the preceding similar period, taking its accumulated losses over the years to above Sh127 billion.

    KQ says the long recovery prospects and diminishing revenue in an environment of increased costs due to tight health and safety measures mean it will require a bailout to stay afloat.“The financial situation of the company is precarious.

    We are in a negative equity position, which means we are insolvent as an organisation, obviously made worse by the pandemic,” Mr Kilavuka said.

    “Definitely the company needs financial support and this is not a secret. We still need financial support from our principals or elsewhere.”

    He did not specify the amount and the nature of support for an airline that last year tapped Sh11 billion loan from the government to fund its operations at a time the Covid-19 pandemic had grounded its operations.

    KQ’s planned request for a fresh bailout comes at a time many State-owned entities, including Kenya Power and Kenya Railways, have continued to depend on the exchequer for survival, with little being done to fix their business models.

    Kenya has about 260 State corporations and the Treasury estimates that taxpayers may spend about Sh382 billion in keeping afloat the operations of 18 of them in the next five years.

    The International Monetary Fund has pushed Kenya to clear inefficiency in these institutions, including cutting duplicate roles and trimming the headcount.

    KQ in May picked a UK consultancy firm, Steer Group, to craft a viable turnaround strategy options in the face of deepening financial losses and depressed passenger numbers.

    The airline’s key routes, including London, India, and Guangzhou, have experienced travel restrictions, leading to depressed demand.

    With about two percent of Africa’s adults vaccinated compared to 51 percent in the US and 61.6 percent in the UK, recovery looks set to delay since Africa is a key route for KQ in connecting travellers to other destinations around the world.

    “We have a tough period going forward but we are conscious of our responsibility as a national carrier and we must not just be seen as a profit generator,” KQ chairman Michael Joseph said.

    “The International Air Transport Association and ourselves don’t see a return to 2019 levels soon. Possibly, 2024 is what we are looking at.”

    KQ, as the airline is known by its international code, previously borrowed from international financiers and nearly all of the country’s leading banks, including KCB and Equity.

    The airline, however, defaulted on the local lenders who now only maintain a revolving credit facility agreed with the company earlier as part of the restructure of their combined Sh17 billion worth of unsecured loans in 2017.

    International lenders like JP Morgan and Citibank have secured their loans using the aircraft purchased by the company.

    KQ’s liabilities outstripped assets by Sh73.85 billion as at end of June compared with Sh64.16 billion in June last year, keeping it technically insolvent.

    Accumulated losses and revenue dip caused the company to breach the terms set by the global financiers, underlining the airline’s debt distress.

    The Treasury, which holds a 48.9 percent stake in the carrier, has rolled out plans to buy out the minority shareholders at a price that is yet to be disclosed.

    This came in the period revenues, mainly from cargo and passengers, fell from Sh30.21 billion to Sh27.35 billion, with the airline currently operating at 30 percent of pre-pandemic capacity.

    Mr Kilavuka said management was working “extremely hard” to try and keep the costs down and conserve cash to ensure survival and rebound.

    KQ served 0.8 million passengers in the review period, down 20 percent from the number served in six months of last year and 64 percent from half year of 2019.

    Passenger revenue dropped by 17 percent to Sh20.23 billion while cargo revenue went up 60 percent due to increased focus on freight operations, especially Covid-19-related essentials like vaccines.

    KQ chief financial officer Hellen Mathuka said the airline has Sh10 billion in its books as unrealised revenue from unused tickets, down from Sh13.9 billion last December.

    “Unused tickets is a liability in our books and this number is not expected to be zero. Passengers buy tickets and we only recognise revenue at the point of travel,” said Ms Mathuka.

    Source BD.

  • KQ Chairman, CEO risk contempt proceedings for defiance of eviction orders

    KQ Chairman, CEO risk contempt proceedings for defiance of eviction orders

    Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer, Allan Kilavuka and Board Chairman, Michael Joseph now risk facing contempt proceedings for defying court orders preventing the airline agents from causing disturbance and executing evictions orders against  renowned aviation company, 748 Air Services and African Express Airways.

    “Despite service of the orders KQ has refused to grant access to AFEX and the CEO and Chairman are likely to be cited for contempt of court orders if this continues,”says African Express lawyers.

    In a letter dated August 7th 2021, African Express Airways(AFEX) Managing Director, Captain Musa Bulhan has requested Kenya Airports Authority to provide it with new alternative access gate after Kenya Airways blocked them from accessing their offices.

    Captain Bulhan says their workforce have been unable to access AFEX facilities due to an ongoing legal tussle between Kenya Airways and 748 air services over a parcel of land owned by African Airlines International.

    “We are unable to access our premises on L.R. No.9042/584 because KQ has denied us access even after the court order was given,” said Captain Bulhan in the letter.

    On August 5th 2021, AFEX obtained a high court order directing KQ to allow AFEX use the KAA gate at the Airport North Road. AFEX argued that it was not party to the lower court matter filed by Kenya Airways against 748 Air services but the national carrier visited its premises on July 23rd 2021 with its agents to vandalize offices.

    “Pending the delivery of the said ruling, the defendant shall on a temporary basis restore the plaintiff forthwith into L.R. No. 9042/584 and shall ensure that their agents, contractors, employees and workmen vacate and remove themselves from the premises  immediately and unconditionally,” said Justice S. Okong’o in the order.

    The court ordered against any acts of disobedience and non-observance until it makes a ruling on the matter in September, 23rd, 2021. Failure to observe the orders, it said would attract penal consequences.

    “It is on this background that we are requesting JKIA to facilitate an independent gate to enable us access our premises on L.R. No. 9042/584,” said Captain Bulhan.

    African Express Airways has even pleaded with the airport’s authority to allow it pre-finance construction of the independent gate upon approval.

    In another offensive, Kenya Airways has repainted 748 Plaza in continued defiance of court orders.

    “KQ have repainted the building despite court orders issued against them,” said 748 Air Services Managing Director, Moses Mwangi.

    In July 26th, 2021, Chief Magistrate Court granted 748 Air services staying orders, preventing Kenya Airways and its agents from further executing eviction orders.

    This followed a legal suit filed by the airline against Kenya Airways for malicious damage of its property worth millions of shillings and harassment of employees.

    In July 23rd 2021, around 15 armed police and more than 50 men raided 748 plaza along Airport North Road in Embakasi broke the premises entrance glassdoor, broke other doors, removed and extremely damaged office furniture and fittings.

    In an affidavit dated July 26th, 2021, 748 Air Services Managing Director, Moses Mwangi said the raid had disrupted normal operations at the Embakasi office and left the airline with significant losses.

    Following the incident, 748 Air services personnel of over two hundred (200) employees were unable to access the same premises and could not be able to trace important documents, records and machinery.

  • Sky News Forced To Pull Down Story After Man They Said Was The KQ’s Stowaway Comes Out Alive

    Sky News Forced To Pull Down Story After Man They Said Was The KQ’s Stowaway Comes Out Alive

    Sky News has been forced to pull down their investigative story that had identified the KQ stowaway as Paul Manyasi. Our checks on the Sky News website earlier today have revealed that the page titled ‘Plane stowaway: Who was Kenyan man who fell from the sky‘ no longer exists.

     

    Image

    In an article published on November 13 by the Chief Editor of this site, British media house Sky News aired a documentary which it identified Paul Manyasi, reported as an employee of Colnet, a cleaning company based at the airport, as “the man who fell from the sky”.

    Paul Manyasi The KQ’s London Stowaway And Is KAA Involved In A Cover Up To Save Face

    In the story, it circulated pictures together with the documentary alleging that the man in the picture was Manyasi the stowaway. But this was not the case, as much as the media house might have gotten right the name of the victim the photos used were of one Cedric Isaac Shivonje.

    Cedric Isaac Shivonje, a 25-year-old man is a remandee at the Kamiti maximum-security prison where he is serving sentence after being convicted for defilement charges at the Kibera law court.

    Kenya Airports Authority issued a statement saying the name Paul Manyasi “does not appear in the JKIA staff register and in the airport’s pass biometric register”. Colnet also denied it had employed a Paul Manyasi.

    Sky News has also pulled down a second story that captured the response of the Kenya Airports Authority that had been titled as ‘Stowaway: Kenya authorities dispute the identity of the man who fell from the plane’.

    The author of the investigative report John Sparks, has also deleted the website link for the investigative piece on his Twitter page.

    Daily Nation visited the met and interviewed him in prison in the company of his father Isaac Beti, 45, and Nairobi lawyer James Mbugua, where he is being held after failing to raise Ksh200,000 bail for an unrelated case.

    “I am alive, as you can see. Those are my photos and they were taken from my Facebook page,” stated Shivonje who was excited after seeing his father who had traveled all the way from Butali in Kakamega for the interview.

    Shijvonje’s father admitted to having misled the Sky news team after receiving Sh20,000 when they visited his home with questions about his son claiming he did not want to tell them or the village that his son was in prison.

    His father, who identifies himself as Isaac Betti and not Isaac Manyasi as identified by the Sky News reported, had come to Nairobi to visit his son for the first time in two years.

    Shivonje’s emergence now complicates the identification dilemma of the man who nestled in the landing compartment of the aircraft on June 30 and fell 3,500 feet as the plane approached Heathrow Airport in London.

    “I knew that my son was in remand but I could not reveal to them since I did not want the villagers to know that my son was in jail,” the Daily Nation quoted him.

    MJM Law LLP,  a Nairobi-based law firm has threatened to sue Sky News accusing them of defaming their client. They demanded a full retraction of the published article, an apology, and written commitment not to publish more articles on Isaac Shivonje.

     

  • Loss Making KQ Flops Salary Talks With KALPA

    Loss Making KQ Flops Salary Talks With KALPA

    Once The Pride Of Africa and now more like the circus of Africa Kenya Airways, KQ, management has flopped salary and pilots deficiency with Kenya Airline Pilots Association (Kalpa) again.

    KQ’s outgoing Chief Executive Sebastian Mikosz

    KALPA halted CBA talks with the Kenya Airways management after contrasting on how the airline should handle its pilot shortage.

    General-Secretary Murithi Nyagah in a letter to KQ’s outgoing Chief Executive Sebastian Mikosz, says the meetings had been thwarted until they commit to fair and honest dialogues.

    “The Association hereby suspends participation in CBA negotiations due to gross violations of the CBA and the lack of goodwill thereof from management,” said Captain Nyagah.

    On top of the suspension of CBA talks, Nyaga notified KALPA members that the union had filed a dispute in court after the talks slumped.

    “CBA negotiations will remain suspended until such a time we feel we are engaging in a fair and honest industrial climate. To this end the executive council is left with no choice but to declare a trade dispute at the Ministry of Labour,” said the letter dated October 14.

    KQ has been making consecutive losses for over a decade with recorded revealing that the airline records Sh5.18 billion loss annually. The key reason being flight cancellation as a result of the shortage of pilots.

    Currently, KQ has 435 pilots against the required 497 pilots. Paul Njoroge, the KQ’s director of Operations confirmed that the airline has a deficit of 62 Pilots.

    According to previous talks, KQ suggested hiring 20 Pilots for Boeing 737 planes a move the Pilots union strongly opposes. On their defence, KALPA  stated that 44 of the 435 pilots are also undergoing training due to the current promotion policy.

  • Don’t Blame Us For Losses: KALPA Tells KQ Management

    Don’t Blame Us For Losses: KALPA Tells KQ Management

    The association representing Kenya Airways pilots has lambasted the airline’s management for blaming the Pilots for the massive losses that KQ has experienced over the past few years.

    The Kenya Airlines Pilots Association (Kalpa) stated today that the loss-making  KQ would still have reported losses even if pilots gave their services for free.

    KQ management last week blamed the current CBA for allowing pilots to call in sick without proof, leading to numerous cancellations, and high salaries paid to the pilots for its financial woes.

    “KQ should stop looking for scapegoats in pilots. Should pilots offer services for free, KQ would still declare losses,” Kalpa general secretary Nyagah  Murithi said.

    The association also blamed the KQ management for increasing frequencies without having the right crew size. This, according to KALPA chair, has contributed to frequent flight cancellations.

    Kenya Airlines Pilots Association now want the government to address the pilot and crew shortage at the airline at the same time supporting the nationalisation 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.

  • KQ Withdraws From JKIA Takeover Bid

    KQ Withdraws From JKIA Takeover Bid

    On Monday this week, Directorate of Criminal Investigations sent a  formal request for pieces of information and documentation that will aide in the Probe into previous mismanagement of formerly Pride of Africa- Kenya Airways.

    According to Kenya Airways, popularly known as KQ, the DCI’s probe will focus on the procurement of services for the maintenance repair and overhaul of aircraft engines at the national carrier.

    KQ which hires third party firms to carry out maintenance said they welcome the investigations and are engaging with the DCI team to provide necessary support and information.

    “This is part of our overall strategy to ensure transparency and integrity in all our procurement processes and operations,” Kenya Airways corporate communications said in a notice.

    DCI has not made the details of investigations open for perusal which makes it almost impossible currently to know which firms and individuals are being targeted under the commenced probe.

    However last week, reports emerged that former KQ chief executive Titus Naikuni was also under probe over Sh100 billion lost between 2003 and 2014. Detectives are also said to be probing the financial period between 2017/8 and 2018/9 inquiring about members of the procurement and tender committee for the same period.

    DCI communicated to the media through a letter stating that the probe will review everything from procurement and budget plans, tender advertisement/request for proposal, list of prequalified suppliers and tender documents for potential bidders.

    Sebastian Mikosz KQ CEO and managing director stated that the loss-making airline was no longer interested in pushing to run Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The airline has since withdrawn the initially proposed Privately Initiated Investment Proposal (PIIP).

    The proposal fell through when it reached Parliament that instead recommended the establishment of an Aviation Holding Company to consolidate the country’s aviation assets, including the nationalization of KQ.

    “KQ’s board and management believe that the PIIP has catalyzed important discourse about the future of Kenya’s civil aviation, which is now being led by the Government of Kenya. Kenya Airways looks forward to continued collaboration with all involved stakeholders of the process,” said Mikosz.

  • Losses: KQ Pays For 3000 Guests Monthly In Five Star Hotels Because Of Delayed Flights

    Losses: KQ Pays For 3000 Guests Monthly In Five Star Hotels Because Of Delayed Flights

    In the first 15 days of August, the loss-making Kenya Airways has canceled more than 52 flights and delayed 40 percent of its trips this year alone and all the expenses are taken care of by the taxpayers.

    A confidential memo leaked to the media has exposed financial details of the frequent flight cancellations with, according to the memo, In just seven months of this year alone, KQ spent Sh 118 million to settle huge accommodation bills for their guests in Nairobi’s five-star Hotels and High-end restaurants.

    KQ, had earlier this year posted a net loss of Sh7.55 billion for the year ending December 2018, as higher costs offset a jump in revenue which hit Sh114.18 billion earlier this year largely driven by passenger bookings.

    Sources talking to the media states that the trigger of the hard questions that have put the top management officials on the spot was a flight cancellation involving a member of the First Family in Paris early this month.

    This year’s KQ OTP reports indicated that 182 of the canceled flights were caused by crew shortage occasioned by pilots and crew failing to turn up for work.

    “During flight delay or cancellation, Kenya Airways is expected to provide essential services such as accommodation, meals, and ground transportation as the situation requires. With an increasing number of these incidents, the costs of hotel accommodation and meals have been above budget by 250 percent,” the memo says.

    The KQ Chief Executive Officer Sebastian Mikosz told the staff on Thursday in an internal newsletter that since the beginning of summer schedule, the OTP (on-time performance) performance of KQ has deteriorated significantly due to crew constraints.

    The total number of guests who have been provided with accommodation on account of delays stood at 19,345 for the seven months, or an average of 2,764 per month, hemorrhaging a carrier that has never seen a profit for over a decade.

    The airline’s average on-time performance at 15 minutes in the seven months of this year, stood at 77 percent, having dropped from 82 percent over a similar period last year.

    “The main factors that have affected OTP include technical issues, crew constraint, ATC (air traffic congestion) in European destinations and radar failure in Nairobi,” Mr. Mikosz said.

    Pilots’ unavailability is becoming a sticking issue, with insiders saying that the CBA it signed with the Kenya Airlines Pilots Association (Kalpa) is biting hard.

    Flight data shows that out of KQ’s  35,035 successful departures this year, only 22,426 (or 60 percent) were on time, with 2,814 having been delayed by more than an hour. More than 9,600 departures suffered delays of up to one hour. FlightStats, a global flight tracking service, ranks KQ at position seven, with the worst average delay of 61.1 percent out of the 13 airlines polled.

    On their defense, KQ stated that pilots were to blame for the rise in the flight disruptions under the crew shortage reasons, mostly because of what they termed as a ‘restrictive CBA the airline has with pilots’.

    Kalpa CEO Captain Muriithi Nyaga has rubbished off saying that it is inaccurate to place the blame on pilots.

    “Since last year, we have been seeking to recruit contract pilots across the fleet (those trained and authorized to fly the different models (Boeing, Embraers) as all other airlines do.

    “However, due to the very restrictions by pilots, we are only allowed to recruit pilots on the Embraer fleet. You will appreciate that in this part of the world, Embraer is a relatively new aircraft, so there are very few trained pilots capable of flying this type of aircraft,” KQ’s head of corporate affairs Dennis Kashero said 

    “It is true that they met last week and I am awaiting their report. At the same time, we have given the management full support as they renegotiate the CBA with the pilots. Our position is clear, that we will not allow any sabotage of such a national asset from any quarters as we try to seek the best for the airline,” Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said on Sunday.

    In my opinion, the memo is a bridge to unearth massive fraudulent deals these so-called five-star Hotels in the city. Politicians, take, for example,DP Ruto has invested in Hotels that only get government guests. Weston Hotel, for instance, is one of the Hotels that accommodate guests that apparently KQ pays their bills from taxpayers pockets. Such external deals are the reason KQ just like any other parastatal is dangling between bankruptcy and closure.

  • Kenya Airways No Longer Profitable

    Kenya Airways No Longer Profitable

    The former Pride of Africa, Kenya Airways, announced its annual financial performance this week.

    KQs Chairman, Michael Joseph said that 2018 was a very challenging year for the loss making airline.

    Kenya airways posted a pretax loss of 7.59 billion Kenyan shillings an equivalent of $74.93 million.

    In the last annual financial report, 2017, they posted the loss of Ksh 9.44 billion.

    The battling to remain relevant and regain profits Airline’s chief executive Sebastian blames the loss to high fuel costs.

    Sebastian has also said that KQ has super expensive personnel and their aircraft dealers are expensive.

    The CEO and the Chief Executive said they’re looking at other avenues to minimise the loses.

    “We started mitigating this risk by implementing a new hedging policy with minimal risk. Kenya Airways offers other services, technical and ground handling to domestic, regional and international customers” Sebastian emphasized.

    “We have however seen growth in passenger numbers. Management team have done a great job under the circumstances and thanks to the board for massive support. KQ is not just an airline but a strategic asset for the country. We should be proud of what KQ has done for Kenya & support, we can help improve the country’s GDP and create employment opportunities despite our challenges. We need support from media, investors and government,” KQ’s Chairman Michael Joseph.

    The recurring losses have raised questions about the current leadership of the airline. With some saying that the financial loses are tricks to help the airline chiefs to bargain for their full running of the JKIA operations.

    Kenya airways seems to have never bought affordable fuel. They complain every time of cost of fuel. Where do they get it?

    However, the New Symbolic route is still below the much expectations.

    Kenya airways has been forced to reduce was the number of its flights to New York from once per day to only five trips per week.

    Reports indicate that the route has only had 15,000 customers in a Year.

    “I do not consider it to be a lucrative route. There is nothing lucrative about flying to New York,” KQs CEO, Sebastian Mikosz says.

    Seems the new added routes have no much impact to KQs financial boost programs. They are adding more expenses to an already loss making company.

    Last year, KQ had added Mauritius, Libreville and Mogadishu to its destinations.

    They further included Rome and Geneva to its routes after signing the New York deal.

    Despite all this, the carrier expects to add two Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes back to its fleet later this year. The planes had been leased to Oman Air.