Kenya Airways (KQ) might cancel all passenger and cargo flights on Saturday due to planned strike action by its pilots under the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA).
KQ estimates that if “the unlawful industrial action” takes off as planned by the pilots, it will cost around KSh300 million ($2.5 million) daily.
“The intended unlawful industrial action negates the strides KQ has made this year in improving its financial position following the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the economy.”
In the half year to June 2022, the airline narrowed net losses to Ksh 9.8 billion from Ksh 11.5 billion recorded in the previous.
“It is also counter-productive to the government of Kenya’s efforts to revive our economy and detracts from current efforts to ameliorate the extremely needy cases of Kenyans suffering from the effects of severe drought. Therefore, this strike is an unwelcome distraction,” the airline added.
KALPA representing KQ pilots said on Friday that they would proceed with the industrial action demanding the restart of payments into a pension fund and fulfilling salary payments owed during the COVID pandemic.
Through its Secretary General Muriithi Nyagah, KALPA alleged that the Kenya Airways Management had not made any meaningful attempt to engage and have matters raised resolved.
“We are therefore at liberty to exercise our right to withdraw our labour forthwith,” Murithi Nyagah, the general secretary of KALPA, said in a statement.
KALPA first informed Kenya Airways of its intent to strike on October 19th. However, mediation talks have yet to be successful.
On the other hand, Transport minister Kipchumba Murkomen said the government had issued a plea to the pilots union not to go ahead with the industrial action.
The Kenya Association of Air Operators has also thrown its weight behind KQ, saying the industrial action will cripple Kenya’s aviation value chain and derail the recovery efforts of the struggling flag carrier.
“We consider this action poorly considered in that KALPA is holding both the airline management and the government at ransom over a matter which should be dealt with without resorting to such an extreme course of action,” added KAAO.
