KQ resumes limited services as it starts ‘recruitment process’
Kenya Airways (KQ) has resumed limited services out of its Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) hub having initiated a recruitment process for new Captains and First Officers to replace the dissenting one’s.
The ongoing strike saw the national carrier cancell 47 flights yesterday, as the strike entered the third day, disrupting travel plans and hurting intra-Africa trade.
During a press conference at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) yesterday, KQ Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Allan Kilavuka said the window for talks with the striking pilots had closed, and that the airline’s management expected them to resume work before any discussions are held.
Too late for talks?
“We want them to go back to work before we can talk to the pilots. It’s too late for talks. They either come to work or we replace them,” Kilavuka said. A total of 23 pilots have resumed duties, with the airline pursuing disciplinary action against those dissenting.
“The disciplinary process is on for pilots who have not reported on duty as per their rosters. And we have begun the recruitment process of captains and first officers,” Kilavuka said, adding that this would prevent the airline from being held hostage by industrial action every time.
A First Officer is a commercial airline pilot who helps navigate and operate flight. They work in the cockpit with the Captain to assist them with the flight, while the Captain is the commander of the aircraft and normally the most experienced pilot in the flight deck.
Depending on the airline, they will normally have at least 3,000 hours of flying experience.
47 flights cancelled
“So far,132 pilots registered with our operations teams as unfit to fly. This is part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that allows pilots a 48 hour window not to provide any evidence of being unfit to fly. What it means is that they could be protecting themselves against disciplinary action,” he said.
Amidst cancellation of 47 flights yesterday, Kilavuka said they had restored 20 per cent of the network’s daily operations, operating 18 flights out of JKIA carrying over 2,000 passengers with two flights each destined to Addis Ababa, Johannesburg, Entebbe, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Lusaka, and London, and uplifted 25 tons of cargo, down from 159 a day.
Likewise, Kilavuka said they have reduced the number of disrupted passengers to around 9,000 from 12,000 by working with partner airlines including Jambojet with 500 passengers accommodated in various hotels in Nairobi. “Some of our guests who were to depart to multiple destinations are still waiting for their connections,” he said.
The unionisable pilots were however not cowed by the sacking threats from their employer, instead maintaining that they were ready to resume work once their grievances were met.
KALPA Secretary General (SG) and CEO Murithi Nyaga said what their members were holding out for was all within the confines of a mutually agreed collective bargaining agreement.
“We have not asked for improved terms of service. We only demand that KQ management honours agreement already in place,” Murithi said.
