Passengers will experience flight delays as pilots at the ailing national flag carrier Kenya Airways have confirmed their 14 days’ strike as from tomorrow.
Through a statement issued today, the Kenya Airlines Pilots Association (KALPA) threatened to begin its strike saying that no flights will leave Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after 6:00 am (0300 GMT) tomorrow.
“KALPA the representative voice of all pilots in the country, Kenya Airways included, wishes to inform members of the public that beginning Saturday, 5th November 2022, from 6.00 am local time, there shall be no Kenya Airways aircraft departing Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) flown by a KALPA member,” KALPA Secretary General, Captain Muriithi Nyaga said.
KALPA, despite numerous discussions with the airline management, have not succeeded in resolving the pilots’ concerns.
“The 14-day warning period for the action has passed without a resolution. Kenya Airways management’s actions have left us with no other alternative. We had hoped that the airline’s management would soften its stance and enter into discussion about the raised issues,” Nyaga added.
According to sources, the pilots, who have a notably contentious rapport with the management, are pushing for the return of provident fund contributions.
They also want any salaries that were stopped during the Covid epidemic to be paid in full retroactively.
The airline, which is among the major airlines in the continent and connects many countries in Africa to Europe and Asia, is partially owned by the government and Dutch airline KLM, however it is going through a challenging period presently.
On Wednesday, Kenya Airways issued a warning that the strike would endanger its ability to recover and claimed that none of the pilots’ complaints warranted a walkout.
“Industrial action is not essential at this time since it would hinder Kenya Airways’ ability to recover financially and operationally and harm its brand,” KQ chairman Michael Joseph stated.
The airline obtained a court order on Monday to halt the strike, but the pilots’ union has vowed to stop working.
Referring to the strike notice’s expiration, a KALPA spokesman told journalists that the pilots were acting within the constraints of the law.
Following the demise of East African Airways, Kenya Airways was established in 1977 and now carries more than four million passengers to 42 destinations each year.
However, given that it is currently operating as a result of governmental bailouts after years of losses, its “Pride of Africa” slogan rings hollow.
