The perennially lose making Kenya Airways dependent on incessant written-off government bailouts to sustain its operations has lost customer credibility for the second day running as passengers cancelled air tickets in favour of rival airlines further exposing their underbelly for the highly competitive aviation industry.
And in what paints a grim picture to the turf wars between striking pilots and KQ management, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Allan Kilavuka has said disciplinary measures have been taken against members of the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (Kalpa) yet to resume work.
Addressing the media today evening at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), the current epicenter point of entry and exit portraying scenes of desperation amongst frustrated passengers said 33 pilots on today’s roaster did not show up.
Effectively, 56 Kenya Airways flights cancelled today only affecting over 12,000 passengers.
The pilots have maintained their hardline stance as the management on the other had insists the strike is illegal as per the court injunction obtained the same.
“If the pilots’ strike continues, we will be unable to meet salary demands this month. So it is in their interest to come back to work… the more you stay out, the more we are bleeding and will be unable to meet your demands.” Kilavuka said.
He added that they are still open to talks however this will under the condition that the pilots return to work.
“Pilots are KQ employees before they are Kalpa members. I would like to urge them to come back to work. Going to strike does not help because we are losing Sh300million per day.” He added.
KQ has a total of 380 pilots.
“This is an illegal strike; it is an unlawful strike because the courts have declared it unlawful. We are hopeful that common sense will prevail and some of these pilots will start coming back to work.” He said.
Earlier on Kenya airways had announced the resumption of operations for its customer traveling to Entebbe, Lusaka and Mombasa, KQ confirmed scheduled for the flight starting from 12: 45 pm to 20:20 pm in the evening, hours after the airline asked their customers who had chosen not to travel to cancel their tickets.
On the other hand, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has urged striking pilots to return to work.
Through a quick dispatch to newsrooms, Murkomen said that impunity is not an option, referring pilots’ defiance of a court order, as the strike entered day two
“I urge the pilots to be mindful of the consequences of defying a court order and to urgently return to work because impunity cannot be an option,” said Murkomen
Murkomen added that the strike is not protected apologised to the thousands of passengers who were stranded but offered no solution.